Because Who Ever Said Life Was Easy?
by Sparks Diamond
Summary: Connor and Murphy set their sights on a well known drug dealer linked to a 15 year-old kidnapping case. But what will happen when they find him dead and now have a girl on their hands-- as well as a price on their heads? Rated T for language. Please R&R!
1. A New Day, A New Problem

BDS FF Story: 

**Disclaimer: **Ok, ok so I don't own the Boondock Saints or their characters. Yeah I wish I do. But hey, I own my own characters so good for me!!!! (Yeah I'm weird, right? :P )

**Summary: **Connor and Murphy go after a well known drug dealer who was linked to a 15 year old kidnapping case. But when they find him and the girl, they realize that their trouble has just begun and that as long as they have the girl, they have a price on their heads as well.

**A/N: **This is my first BDS story so be nice! Bare with me here cause it's a bit hard to write the way they would talk but I'll try. I'm using a few Irish slang phrases here and there but overall I'm just writing plainly. I hope you like it so please read and review and tell me what you think. Criticism is welcome but please no flaming, if you don't like it, just tell me but don't yell at me! But anyway---- enjoy!!!!

**BTW: **This story takes place a year after the movie, so they are obviously the Saints but they have moved to New York. They are wanted by the Boston police but they have managed to keep a low profile so far; still being the Saints but not so publicly. And that's it, I guess. If it doesn't make sense to you-- well that's too bad because it's my story!!!! But please, by all means, tell it to me in your review. Anyway---- ENJOY!!!!

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**Chapter 1: A New Day, A New Problem:**

It was a cold and overcast morning, an unusual occurrence for the beginning of September. Murphy MacManus shivered as he stood by the window and wondered why the weather had taken such an abrupt turn from the day before. Murphy took out his last cigarette and made a mental note to buy another pack when he and Connor passed the local news stand on their way to have their ritual morning coffee.

"Ughh," came the disgruntled reply of one Connor MacManus, half-hidden under the sheets and covers of his bed. He groaned again and put his pillow over his head in an attempt to block out any kind of light around him.

Murphy chuckled and blew smoke rings into the air as he watched his brother groan and curse the coming day and the pain that grew in his head. After taking the last few drags, Murphy stubbed out his cigarette in the nearest overflowing ashtray and made his way to Connor's bed. He knew well that waking his brother was no easy task, especially when his brother had the hangover from hell.

"Come on, Connor," Murphy said, tugging on his twin's covers and shaking him with his free hand.

Connor grunted loudly and pushed Murphy away, causing him to tumble backwards and land on his ass. A little annoyed but still chuckling to himself as Connor muttered curses in his half-awake state, Murphy stood and grabbed a pitcher of water off the table. Standing directly over Connor, Murphy held the near-full pitcher of water and slowly poured it onto his twin's head.

"Aye! Fuck!" Connor bolted up in his bed at once, throwing the laughing Murphy an angry glance. "What'd ya do that for ye eejit?!" He ran a hand through his dishevelled and now wet hair and began to dress himself.

Murphy didn't answer but began to do the same, finishing before Connor. As he watched his twin dress himself slowly and carefully, he remembered the event's from the night before and couldn't help but chuckling to himself. He and Connor had gone to the bar, much like they did every night, and after a while, a very good looking girl had come in alone. Connor, who was already a bit buzzed, tried to hit on her but failed seeing as she was only interested in the big burly biker with the countless tattoos. The rest of the night was spent drinking himself into a stupor and getting himself so drunk that Murphy had to half-drag, half-carry him home.

Now Connor looked like the combination of death warmed over and road kill that was repeatedly run over by trucks. The pain that throbbed in his head was almost unbearable but it was nothing that a few aspirin couldn't fix. Finally after getting himself dressed and ready, he eyed his brother who had been leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. Connor took his wet pillow and threw it, hitting Murphy square in the face.

"Hey!" Murphy exclaimed, pushing the wet pillow away and throwing it to the ground. He wiped his face with one hand and smacked Connor with the other. "Fuckface!"

"You're a fuckface ye eejit!" Connor retorted, kicking out his left foot and catching Murphy in the shin. "Stop hittin' me!"

"You stop hittin' me!" Murphy cried and jumped onto Connor, knocking them both backwards onto the floor.

In minutes they were rolling around on the floor, hitting each other and yelling at each other, even pulling on each other's hair once. A few punches were thrown and fewer actually reached their target. They continued to fight but after another few minutes of yelling and cursing, the fight stopped when both Connor and Murphy smacked their heads into each other's when they attempted to head butt one another.

The two grown men were now lying on their dirty floor, both clutching their heads, Connor almost passing out from the pain that was just added to his already throbbing head. A few seconds later though, they both started laughing, the fight already forgotten. Murphy stood and pulled Connor up along with him.

"Ya all right?" Murphy asked, smiling crookedly at Connor.

"Fine," Connor said. "Are we goin' or what, Murph?" He put on his pea coat that matched Murphy's and quickly put on his sunglasses. Murphy moved slower, taking time to put on his coat. "Oy Murph! Move yer ass will ya!"

Ignoring his brother, Murphy slipped into his jacket and followed Connor out the door. The street was pretty busy considering the hour but it wasn't nothing they weren't used to. Murphy paused quickly to buy his carton of cigarettes but he stopped when he read the headline on the newspaper. He grabbed Connor's arm and turned around. He nodded toward the paper and Connor read it quickly.

'**CONVICTED DRUG DEALER SOUGHT FOR 7 YEAR-OLD KIDNAPPING CASE'**

"Whad'ya think?" Murphy asked, his eyes hardening. "Good, huh?"

"Aye," Connor said, a serious expression crossing his face as he studied the headline. "Good."

Murphy bought the newspaper with his cigarettes and quickly the twins headed for Johnny's, the coffee shop they regularly went to. Sitting at the corner booth with their coffee and doughnuts, Murphy read the story aloud while Connor listened intently.

'_Yesterday evening, New York police received an anonymous tip that known and convicted drug dealer Pazz McClellan was holding a young girl in his house. The girl, thought to be young Josephine Miller, was kidnapped from the Bayard's Orphanage when she was 12 years old and was never seen or heard from again. Police officials at the time first issued her disappearance as a runaway but when signs of struggle were found, it was ruled a kidnapping. A few years ago, the police closed the case when no evidence of Miller was found. But after receiving the tip that she might have been kidnapped by McClellan, the police reopened her case. The police searched the house but found nothing. The case is still being looked into so that the girl, if she is indeed with McClellan, can be found.'_

"Christ," Connor muttered under his breath when Murphy looked up from the paper. "That piece of shite might have that girl!"

"And who knows what he's done to her if he has," Murphy growled, anger boiling inside him when he thought of the possibilities. "I hate fuckin' bastards like that."

"Aye, me too," Connor agreed. He leaned forward suddenly, nearly knocking his coffee over with his sudden excitement. "We should do something' then, right? Right?", he said when Murphy didn't answer fast enough.

"Right!" Murphy said, his excitement matching his brother's. "It's been a while since we did that. We could be doin' society a favour, y'know?"

"Fuckin' right, Murph!" Connor said, slamming his fist down onto the paper. "Fuckin' right!"

********

As the sun went down and the night arrived, Connor and Murphy worked feverishly and excitedly on their plan of attack. The growing popularity of the drug dealer story had everyone in the buzzing but the MacManus brothers were intrigued for different reasons. Their mission in life had become to help anyone and everyone by getting rid of all the evil in the world, one by one. And with the New York police more or less on their side, the media-dubbed 'Saints' were free to execute their calling and do what they saw as right and just.

In their ramshackle apartment, by the light of a few small lamps, the brothers sat at their near-broken table, surrounded by newspaper clippings, internet printouts, beer bottles and packs of cigarettes. Murphy sighed tiredly and pushed a few clippings aside so he could lay his head on the table. Connor looked up from the article he was reading and smacked his twin over the head with a rolled up newspaper.

"Come on, Murph," Connor said, half his attention on the article. "We got work to do."

Murphy groaned but didn't lift his head. "Connor--- it's fuckin' two in the mornin'. I'm tired, all right?"

"No!" Connor said strongly, slamming his fist down on the table so hard Murphy could feel the pain. "This is somethin' we gotta do, Murph. We can't just leave it now can we?"

Murphy sighed, nodding and sitting back down. Connor had a special hatred for drug dealers, more than the standard hatred they had as the Saints. Connor used to be very close to a woman that used to live across the street. She had met him when he saved her son from getting hit by a bus when he chased his ball into the street. They dated after that and Murphy was pretty sure that they were going to get married.

But one day, the girl's drug dealer ex-boyfriend came by to visit her and to try and get her back. He met the son first and convinced him to take a drug, telling him it was candy and that his mother wanted him to have it. The drug hit the eight year old boy hard and when his mother found him, he was almost near death. The ex-boyfriend had been waiting for her and after a struggle, she died from hitting her head on the edge of a table. Without any to call an ambulance, the son died.

Connor and Murphy had gone after the scumbag and killed him after he got out of jail on bail. But Murphy knew that his brother would never be okay even after they sent the evil bastard to hell. Connor had loved that girl, even if he never admitted or tried to hide it and no amount of killing or justice would ever fix that. Murphy knew that and he did all he could to help Connor.

"Okay," Murphy said, staring his brother straight in the face. "Let's do this!"

"Good," Connor said with a smile and then turned the papers he had just been looking at so Murphy could read them. "It says that the piece of shite lives right here in Boston. At the crappy apartment building' near the church. Y'know?" Murphy nodded and Connor continued. "He's been livin' there for three years. He had moved to New York--- 15 years ago. Now why do you supposed he did that, huh?"

"The girl," Murphy said, smiling as he caught on. "He kidnapped her and brought her to New York. What a fuckin' bastard!"

"Aye. But they never caught him. They never found the girl." Connor cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment. "How much do ya wanna bet that he's got the girl and that the police were too daft to find her?"

"Me Life," Murphy said. He leaned forward, staring his brother in the face, his expression serious. "When you wanna do this, Connor?"

Connor smiled and his eyes lit up with an excitement that only Murphy could understand. "Tomorrow, Murph," he finally said, leaning back in his chair. "Tomorrow we do this."

"Aye," Murphy agreed. "Good."

********

"Ow! Watch yer fuckin' foot will ya?" Murphy cried loudly, rubbing the spot on his chest that Connor had kicked while crawling down an air vent. They had done this before and Murphy didn't like it.

"Sorry! And Shh!" Connor whispered. "We don't wanna get caught now do we?" Murphy grunted his answer and followed his brother as they slowly crawled down the vent. He accidentally kicked the side which made a loud, resounding bang. Connor turned to smack him. "Shh! Yer too fuckin' loud!"

"You shh!" Murphy whispered back, smacking Connor back. "Yer the loud one!"

Connor half-turned, a bit ticked off now and smacked Murphy across the head. Murphy growled angrily and jumped onto Connor, both of them in another smacking match. But then suddenly they heard the vent groan loudly and they stopped dead, both their faces in an expression of horror.

"Oh no…."

"….not again!"

The vent gave way fully then and both men felt themselves fall through the air before landing, hard. Murphy landed half on a wooden bench and rolled off, nearly ramming into a shelf filled with cleaning products. Connor landed on a hard washing machine, striking his head near the corner. For a few moments, both were winded and couldn't speak; the fall leaving them slightly stunned. Connor slowly and painfully rolled himself to his feet and shuffled over to Murphy, helping him stand.

"You all right?" Connor asked, giving Murphy a quick once over while rubbing his own head.

"Fine," Murphy replied, massaging his shoulder that took most of the impact. "Not broken but-- fuck! Rope woulda fuckin' helped!"

"Oh sure! _Now _you want the rope!"

"Shut-up!" Murphy snapped and surveyed the room quickly. They had landed in a small, empty laundry room. "Why'd we have to use the vents for?"

"Because we don't wanna be seen, eejit!" Connor said with a roll of his eyes. "Don't ya know anythin'?"

Murphy ignored him and looked around once again, casting a quick glance at the door. "Where's the scumbag live? Third floor is it?"

"Yeah," Connor replied, taking a quick look at the slip of paper in his pocket. "3F. Just down the hall." He took his gun from the holster strapped to his side, cocked it, put it back in and walked out the door with a look of determination.

Murphy did the same but halfway out the door, he stopped to look around the laundry room once more. "Who the fuck puts a laundry room on the third floor?" he remarked before following Connor down the dimly lit hallway.

The hallway was deserted and not a sound could be heard coming from any of the third floor apartments. Murphy thought that was weird since he and Connor's apartment was always buzzing around eleven in the morning. It didn't matter though. They were on a mission and nothing or no one could phase them.

Connor stopped in front of apartment 3F and listened carefully. He shook his head, indicating that no sound was coming from within. A whiff of something horrid coming from the other side reached them and both turned away, covering their noses.

"What the hell is that?" Murphy said loudly. "Smells like somethin' died in there. It's disgustin'."

"Come on," Connor urged. He looked from left to right before swiftly kicking the door in with his right foot. "Let's go!"

They walked slowly and silently inside and looked around for any signs of life. The apartment itself was messy with bottles and boxes strewn everywhere and ugly, stained furniture awkwardly set about. The horrid smell was stronger inside and they had to hold their breath to keep from throwing up. Something grazed Murphy's leg and he jumped, almost firing his gun. It was only a orange tabby cat that looked at him quizzically before scampering off down the hallway. Connor smirked but continued down to a set of doors.

"That one," Murphy said, nodding toward the second door. "It's comin' from there."

Placing their hands on the door and cocking their guns, they silently counted to three in their heads, simultaneously pushing the door open on 'three'. The sight that greeted them made them cry out in surprise. Lying there on the dirty bathroom floor was Pazz McClellan, bullet holes riddled throughout his body. The first shot to the heart had killed him but the killer was clearly gun happy and continued to shoot him well after he was dead. Blood was everywhere and the brothers had to be careful not to step on it.

"Damn," Connor said, kneeling next to the body to have a better look. "Some one got here before us. Shit!" He looked up at a dumbfounded Murphy, frustrated and confused. "Who'd do this?"

"I don't know," Murphy replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "He was a drug dealer, Con. A shitload of people were after him."

"Fuckin' great," Connor swore, standing quickly and turning away from the body. His eyes lit up suddenly as a realization hit him. "Murph! The girl!"

The sound of a gun cocking behind them interrupted Murphy's reply and both of them spun around quickly, coming face to face with a young girl with an angry face, pointing a gun at them. She was a short girl, easily under 5 ft and had dark, nearly black hair with faint purple streaks that ran past her shoulders. Her bespectacled eyes were vibrant and as far as Murphy could tell, two different colours. One was bright blue while the other was bright green. The glasses were huge, nerdy things and didn't fit her face. It made her look a bit scary and they had a hardness to them that Murphy couldn't quite understand. She wore jeans and a worn t-shirt with a brown leather vest over it and new-looking black and white converse. She held the gun straight and with confidence, her eyes darting back and forth between the two.

"Who are you two?" she asked, looking them both over quickly. "You don't look like dealers."

"We ain't dealers," Connor replied in an annoyed tone. He and Murphy still had their guns pointed up as well. "Drop yer gun."

"Fuck you," she said harshly and held the gun even tighter than before. Seeing such a delicate-looking girl swear stunned both Connor and Murphy. "Don't tell me what to do. Why don't you drop your guns?"

"Wait-- who are ya?" Murphy asked, eyeing Connor and slightly moving closer to the girl. "Are ya the girl? The--- kidnapped girl?"

She chuckled bitterly for a second before regaining her serious expression. "Is that what they call me? Well then--- here I stand, the 'kidnapped girl' at your fuckin' service."

"All right, all right," Connor said, holding up his hands in defense. "Relax, girl. No one wants to shoot anyone here." He eyed Murphy who was inching closer to the girl and tried to keep the girl's attention on him. "A girl like yerself shouldn't be holdin' a gun like that. It ain't right."

"Oh-- it ain't?" She mimicked mockingly, scoffing at his words. "I don't care what you think is right--- I'm a damn good shot."

"But you ain't got a good attention span."

She looked at Connor quizzically and was about to tell him off when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Murphy had her in his strong grip with both arms tight around her and before she could pull the trigger, Connor shook the gun from her hand and put it in the waistband of his jeans. The girl squirmed and screamed, thrashing and kicking around and landing a kick to Connor's stomach. Connor grabbed her legs and gripped so tight that she couldn't move.

"GET OFF ME!!!! LET GO YOU BASTARDS!" she screamed, fiery anger blazing in her eyes.

"Relax! We're on yer side!" Murphy said into her ear. "We came to help you."

The girl stopped suddenly at that. "What do you mean 'help me'? You don't even know me!"

"Yes," Connor said and took out one of the articles, "we do." He showed the girl the article that had first captured his and Murphy's attention. "Look--- it says yer the kidnapped girl and that a drug dealer was holdin' ya here. 'Cept--- they never found ya when they came here."

"Looked?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Right."

"What?"

"Those idiots couldn't find a branch on a tree!" she said harshly. "I was drugged and thrown in the closet. The police didn't even set foot in the door. Some cops, huh?"

"That ain't right," Murphy said, more to himself. "They made a big enough circus about findin' ya and getting' ya back home."

"Home? Ugh---" She stopped and sighed. "Can you let me go now?" The twins shared a look and she sighed again. "I promise I won't run away, all right?"

After a few seconds of contemplation and shared looks, Murphy and Connor let her go and she stretched. They remained near her just in case she did decide to bolt for the door. She eyed them, giving them a slower and more proper once over. She raised her eyebrows when she saw that both men were dressed exactly alike--- right down to the scuffed black boots. She smirked, amused at how two grown men dressed exactly alike.

"So-- what? You guys related or best friends or in a boy band?"

"What?" Connor looked at her like she had sprouted a second head.

"You're dressed alike," she said. "That only works with two year-old twins in matching overalls. What's your excuse?"

"We're twenty-eight year-old twins," Connor said curtly and Murphy chuckled. "And you---little girl?"

"Fuck you, twenty-eight year-old twin," she said, her defences shooting up like stone walls around her. "I don't have to tell you nothing!"

"No," Connor agreed, "ya don't. But we could knock ya out and dump ya at the police station and let them have ya."

"Fine," she spat, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at them. "What the fuck do you wanna know?"

"What happened here?" Murphy asked. He nodded toward the dead body of Pazz McClellan. "You kill him?"

"No," she replied. "I should have--- years ago. Some people he sold drugs to paid him a little visit. He sold them some fake shit and they killed him for it. I was hiding in the other room but they saw me and I ran before they could catch me. They'll come back for me-- they don't want no witnesses."

"Is that why yer pointing' a gun at everyone who comes in here?"

"Hey-- gotta protect myself somehow don't I?"

"How old are ya?" Murphy asked. He took the article from Connor and read it over

quickly. A smirk appeared as he read her name. "Miss-- Josephine, is it?"

"Ugh, God," she muttered, grimacing. "It's Jo and shouldn't you know since you're so smart with your articles?" They didn't say anything and she shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "19."

"All right," Connor said. "At least we're getting somewhere."

"Who the hell are you guys?" Jo snapped as she began to grow increasingly annoyed. She had practically grown up around drug dealing and the business and she knew that not trusting strangers was one of the unwritten rules. And now that she had no gun, she was a bit worried but she didn't show it.

"I'm Connor and he's Murphy. We ain't the bad guys here. We-- get rid of the bad guys."

Jo cocked her head to side, suspicious. "You-- get rid of the bad guys? What the fuck does that mean? Are you the half-assed Irish mob?"

"It means we kill 'em," Murphy replied, ignoring her comment. His face was serious and it matched Connor's. It was no joking matter to them when it came to what they did and what they stood for. "We get rid of them so they don't get to hurt anyone else."

"Oh," Jo said as realization washed over her. "Oh, I get it now. You're those 'Saints' guys. The ones that are in the news all the time. And-- what? You were gonna kill him?" She cast a glance at the body of her captor and suppressed a shudder. "What were you gonna do with me? Huh? Hand me back?"

The question caught both men off guard. They hadn't really thought about what they would do if they actually found her. It was just assumed that they would do what was right and turn her in so the kidnapping case could be solved and the drug dealer killed. Not once did they stop and think that the girl might actually have an opinion of her own and not want to be found.

"Where else would you go?" Connor asked. "Yer free now. You can go back and live and be happy."

"Oh right," Jo said bitterly. "Because a fuckin' orphanage is all fun and games! You think they actually care about me? All they care about is the money they get for each kid that's in there! I'm gone-- as good as dead to them-- and I prefer that it stays that way!"

Jo turned quickly and headed toward the door in an attempt to storm out and get as far away as she possibly could. She didn't want nothing more to do with anyone and all she wanted was to get away so she could live her own life. She almost reached the door when she felt a hand close around her upper arm and pull her back. Connor had her and he didn't let her go this time.

"Ya can't leave!" he said, now openly annoyed. "Don't ya remember what ya just said? The men who killed him are gonna come lookin' for ya! We can't leave ya by yerself now can we?"

"I don't care," Jo spat. "I can fuckin' take care of myself! And besides-- aren't you gonna bring me back?" The burning fire in her eyes was enough to make Connor pause for a second. Murphy shrugged as an unspoken conversation passed between them.

"We can't now," Connor said. "We found ya now and we can't leave ya. We-- we can protect ya from who's after ya."

"Aye," Murphy agreed. "You can stay with us. Until it's all figured out."

"What? Why?" Jo asked, suspicion in her eyes. She had never trusted anyone on her life before and she wasn't about to start easily now. "Why do you wanna help me?"

"Because," Connor said with a tight smile. "That's what we do."

"Oh well that's different!" Jo said with a roll of her eyes. Sighing and finally putting down her gun, she smirked at both of them. "So," she said with her eyebrows lifted and an amused smile dancing on her lips. "Are you guys gonna bring me in chains or am I allowed to walk by myself?"

Murphy chuckled aloud to himself and Connor smirked with no sound. The proverbial ice had been somewhat broken. It was enough for now. Connor took the bag that he had slung over his shoulder and threw it to Jo.

"Fill it up with whatever ya need," he said. "And fast. We don't got time to waste here."

"Fine," Jo replied, disappearing into the other room. She hated giving in so easily and she still didn't trust them but it beat watching out for herself alone and she was happy to get away from the apartment.

Murphy turned to Connor as she left the room. They didn't need to speak to tell each other how they felt. Both were hesitant about taking the girl in, especially after she had witnessed the drug dealer's murder. Sometime soon the killers would come looking for her which meant that they had to deal with whoever they were. It left both brothers with a feeling of apprehension and a sense that something bad was going to happen.

"Don't worry," Connor said to his more anxious and worried brother. Murphy nodded but didn't reply.

"Okay," they heard Jo say and turned to see her coming from the room, Connor's bag dragging on the floor behind her. She had put on a pea coat much like their's except that it had buttons on the flaps.

"What's that?" Murphy asked, pointing to the buttons. They were square and colourful. "Buttons?"

"No," Jo replied sarcastically. She shook her head and walked closer for them to see. "Of course they're buttons, genius."

Murphy and Connor leaned in to take a look at the buttons, both scrutinizing each one carefully. At the same time, as if they were connected in everything they did, they pulled back and shared a look before bursting into laughter. Jo looked annoyed and a little pissed at their laughter.

"What's so fucking funny?" She asked, her hands on her hips. "Do my buttons amuse you?"

"Aye," Murphy said, laughing. "The Beatles? Really?" He laughed a bit harder and half leaned on Connor who was laughing hard himself.

"So?" Jo said, more irritably. "Is there something wrong with The Beatles?"

"No, there ain't, lass," Connor finally answered. "But--- wearing buttons? Ye ain't in the '60s, y'know?"

"Yeah--- are you a hippie?" Murphy said, a playful smirk on his lips. "I've never seen a young lass like yerself be so obsessed with a band that she'd wear buttons on her coat!"

"Oh-- fuck yourselves," Jo spat, turning from them. Her anger only made them laugh harder and she stood, waiting for them to finish. "Don't make fun of The Beatles," she warned. "I'll shoot both of you!"

"Aye," Connor said after he and Murphy finally sobered. "I bet she would."

"Okay," Jo said, her hardness returning. "Where are you dipshits taking me?"

"Just follow us," Murphy replied. "And don't try to run, all right?"

Jo's reply was an annoyed rolling of her eyes but she nodded, a promise enough. Connor took a quick look into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear and then he motioned for Murphy and Jo to follow. Murphy made Jo go first, so she walked in the middle of him and Connor. Even though she became compliant and agreed to go with them, Murphy knew that they could never be too loose with their trust.

They exited from the normal entrance this time since they really hadn't done anything and because they had Jo with them. When they were safely in their beat-up old car, Connor sped off at an alarming speed. Jo sat in the back, slouched down with her legs up against the back of the passenger seat.

"Where do you live?" Jo asked as she watched the scenery pass by from the window. Murphy turned around to face her.

"We live in an apartment building'," he said. "It's about fifteen minutes away."

"Oh," Jo replied, more to herself. "Great."

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, save for the radio station that flooded the car with music that Jo could care less about. But when her favourite Beatles song, Yellow Submarine, came on she reached over to raise the volume, receiving a weird look from both Connor and Murphy. But they let her be and for the first time since they met her, they finally saw Jo's full smile.

"Holy shit! _This _is your apartment?"

Jo had just followed Connor and Murphy into their apartment and she was shocked at messiness of it. She was used to the apartment of Pazz McClellan and it was messy but this one was just overly messy. And even though she was often called a "tom-boy" and a "slob" by many people, too much mess kind of irked her. But she shrugged and dropped her bag on the beaten-up couch, walking around to get a better look at everything. The apartment was basically one big open space with two twin beds in the middle, a few chairs, a table and a small kitchenette. The little bathroom was off to the right and there was a pretty spacious balcony just outside the glass doors.

"Well," she said and turned to face them. "I guess it isn't too bad. But, uh--- where do you except me to sleep? You two gonna share a bed and give me the second one?"

Murphy chuckled and Connor shook his head. "No, lass," he said with a smirk. "You'll be sleepin' on the couch."

"Oh,---well! That's just peachy!" Jo turned and stared at the couch and muttering under her breath she whispered, "Bastard."

********

Late that night, Connor and Murphy sat around their rickety table, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. It was the next best thing to going to the bar and drinking and since they had to stay and watch Jo, they had no choice either way. Jo had nearly had a tantrum that night when Connor made the mistake of saying they had to watch her to make sure she didn't leave or do anything stupid. She nearly bit off his head and threw a beer bottle at him, hitting him square in the chest. But soon after plugging herself into her iPod, she fell asleep; one hand steadily on the holster that held her gun.

"Oy! Shit," Murphy exclaimed as he lit another cigarette. "I'm fuckin' tired."

"Aye," Connor agreed, nodding. He stubbed out his cigarette and chugged the rest of his beer, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and burping loudly. He eyed Jo and chuckled at the way she was twisted on the couch, her earphones in her ear with the music playing steadily. "She's a tough lass ain't she?" he said to Murphy.

"Aye, and a bit insane too."

"She is, yeah."

Murphy stared at her, studying her as she slept. She looked completely different when she was asleep; peaceful and content and--- even beautiful. The hardness that was always on her face and in her eyes had disappeared and she looked like a girl her age should look like. Murphy felt sorry for her then as he watched her. He always had Connor growing up and he couldn't imagine what it was like to be an orphan, much less living with a drug addict.

"What, Murph?" Connor had been watching him as he watched Jo. Murphy just shrugged; he was feeling a bit uneasy and anxious.

"I don't know," he said with another shrug. "Con-- what are we gonna do with her? We can't just keep her forever."

"Fuck if I know," was Connor's reply. "I can't help feelin' like there's more to this, Murph. Some fuckin' dealers are after her and they ain't gonna stop lookin' for her."

"Aye. I don't think she's telling' us everythin'." Murphy's eyes narrowed as he looked at Jo once more. When his gaze met Connor's again, he sighed. "I guess we gotta make her talk."

"Aye, Murph. We do."

********

The next morning came quickly, the blinding sun shining through the window and hitting Murphy square in the face. He was by no means a morning person and the bright sun filled him with a great urge to hold the pillow over his head and sleep all day. But the events of the day before flashed through his mind and he shot up in his bed, his eyes landing on the couch Jo had been sleeping on. He rubbed his eyes vigorously to make sure what he was seeing was actually true.

"Fuck!" he cursed, loudly. He threw his pillow at Connor to wake him up. "Connor!"

"Wha-- wha--what?" Connor sat up, blinking rapidly to get the room into focus. "What, Murph?"

"Look," Murphy said, nodding toward the couch.

The couch was crooked and wrinkled from being slept on. The blanket was hanging half on the arm and half on the floor while the pillow lay beside it on the floor. Everything was normal except….

Jo was gone.

* * *

**A/N: **Well…. What did you guys think?? I hope you liked the story because, like I mentioned before, this is my first Boondock Saints story so--- it's prolly a bit rusty. I did put some of myself into Jo (Beatles obsession, height and some other things) although I don't have a coat with Beatles buttons--- sounds like a good idea though don't it? Oh yeah and the glasses are ones that I'm getting soon to kind of emulate Buddy Holly. Once again, yes I'm a bit crazy. And I always liked the idea of having two different coloured eyes so I gave them to Jo! Anyway, please please please please review so I know what you think! Tell me what you like, what to improve, etc. No flaming, just good criticism ok? Thanks!!!!


	2. The Short Girl With The Big Glasses Lies

**Disclaimer: **Yeah…. yeah…. yeah. You get the point.

**Summary: **Connor and Murphy go after a well known drug dealer who was linked to a 15 year old kidnapped case. But when they find him and the girl, they realize that their trouble has just begun and that as long as they have the girl, they have a price on their heads as well.

**A/N: **Hey everyone!!!! Thanks for reviewing my story!!!! I extend a special thanks to Saoirse Dirscol who gave me some pointers to my story. Sorry about the long wait but it takes time to write and this weekend was hectic for me!!!! I hope this next chappie is awesome and kick-ass!!!! If it's not then hey, maybe third time will be the charm but let's hope it doesn't get to that! I will be revealing more of Jo's past--- she isn't just an innocently kidnapped girl like you think! Well, okay, not so much revealing but there will be a few subtle hints about it.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Short Girl With the Big Glasses Ain't Telling The Truth:**

Jo was gone.

Murphy leaped out of his bed, taking the sheets and the blanket with him. He stood in the middle of the room for a moment, pushing the sheets off him with such ferocity, one would think he was on fire. Finally wrestling the sheets to the ground, he stood dumbfounded for a few seconds, not knowing which way to go or where to look first. Connor was still slightly confused from being ripped out of sleep suddenly that he just stared blankly ahead into the eyes of his twin.

"Murph---"

A loud bang cut Connor's sentence off and both men jumped and turned to look in the direction of the bang. Standing there, on the other side of the streaked glass that led to the balcony, stood Jo. She had been sitting on the grey stone ledge and looking down at the passing traffic of the morning when she lost her balance and fell backwards, crashing into a potted -- but dead-- plant that had been there for only God knew how long. It had smashed into a million pieces, sending chips of ceramic flying all across the small balcony.

Jo looked like a little girl that had been caught doing something that she wasn't supposed to do. She sat in the middle of what was left of the plant with her legs sprawled out in front of her and her arms crossed over her chest. She glared down at the remnants of the plant as if it had tripped her and broke itself. Her hair was messy and stuck out in a few different directions, even some pieces of ceramic in a few of the strands. Her glasses had fallen down to the bridge of her nose and her bag and all it's contents were strewn all over the balcony.

When she looked through the window and saw Murphy laughing at her, she fumed even more. He was nearly doubled over, slapping his thigh with one hand and wiping the tears that streamed down his face with the other. Jo growled and stood abruptly, brushing herself off and storming into the apartment. Connor was fully up now and he stared at her with an amused expression, one corner of his mouth twisted up and his right eyebrow lifted.

"You think that's fuckin' funny do you?" Jo asked, her different coloured eyes blazing. If looks could kill, they'd both be ashes.

When she realized the only answer she would receive was Murphy's loud laughter --which Connor had now enthusiastically joined in on-- she pivoted on her heel and returned to the balcony, slamming the sliding door shut and stepping over the broken pot to lean against the ledge. As she gazed out at the busy streets of early morning Manhattan, she contemplated her life--- or the pathetic excuse of a life that she had been living. It seemed like the events of her past was more like a story; something so fantasical that it had to have come from someone's imagination. Could this really be her life? Why would God permit anyone to have such a crappy existence?

Jo shook her head while simultaneously running a hand through her hair. Sometimes when she was younger, she used to wish that she could just close her eyes and shake her head and when she opened her eyes again, the world would look right and everything would turn out okay. But as time went on and she got older, her naivety and innocence slipped away and she realized that life couldn't and would never be easy or perfect. The final realization of it had chased the last of her childhood dreams away and hardened her heart in a way that she had come to hate.

A sudden cry grabbed her attention and she shifted her eyes slightly to watch a grey dove fly from building to building. It seemed to be searching for something or someone and it intrigued Jo. It was the reason that she didn't hear someone come up behind her. Suddenly a hand came down on her shoulder and she tensed up quickly, spinning around and pushing the arm away so fast, the person went reeling backwards into the glass door. She heard the man grunt and curse loudly. When her breath began to slow and she realized who was on the ground, she swore herself.

"Oh shit," she said quickly. She looked like someone had just tried to throw her over the balcony. Fear was clearly evident on her face. "Are you all right?"

Murphy lay on the cold ground, scrunched against the closed glass door. His legs were twisted beneath him and the bewildered expression on his face made Jo feel bad about nearly flattening him. She offered her hand and he took it, standing up and rubbing the spot on his back that had connected with the door. Jo avoided Murphy's intense gaze as he studied her intently. Finally after regaining her composure, she looked up at him and snapped.

"What the fuck are you starin' at?"

Murphy stuttered for a moment. "I--I-- well ye looked pretty freaked out." The small glimpse of fear that had lingered on her face was long now, now replaced with a stoniness he couldn't read.

"Whad'ya expect?" Jo said, her voice slightly rising hysterically. "You fuckin' sneak up on people like that, you'll scare them!" She turned away from him, looking to the street below while trying to calm her racing heart. She heard Murphy shifting his weight behind her and a few moments later, he came up beside her.

"Sorry," he said. His face was a little red with embarrassment. He smiled in hopes that Jo would see it as a peace offering. "I didn't meant to scare ya. Just wanted to tell ya me and Con were sorry for laughin'." A smile threatned to appear on his lips and Jo knew he was reliving her fall no doubt.

"Yeah---" She shook her head and stared at him with no expression. "Apology accepted I guess." She looked back to the scenery but muttered under her breath, "Asshole," just loud enough for Murphy to hear.

He laughed and pulled himself up to sit on the ledge, his back against the wall that separated he and Connor's apartment from their neighbour's. Jo remained the same, her face turned away slightly from Murphy. He watched her, taken in by her. She was a pretty little thing, despite the hardness in her face and eyes that sometimes made her look older than her years. But there was something about her, something that Murphy could place quite then, that enamoured him.

"So," Murphy said, eager to shut off the silence that threatned to consume them. "What's with the glasses?" That caused Jo to fully turn to face him.

"What?"

"The glasses--- why are they so fuckin' huge?"

"Oh," Jo said, reaching up to touch the big horn-rimmed things as if she forgot she was wearing them. Her lips twisted a bit; the closest thing to a smile. "I like Buddy Holly."

Murphy titled his head to the side for a moment, looking much like a confused dog.

"Who?"

"Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me?!" Jo was looking at Murphy like he had been living under a rock. He had to laugh at her expression. Her eyes were bulged out which made them look even scarier and her eyebrows were arched so high, it was almost like she was a cartoon character come to life.

"I ain't kiddin'. I mean I heard of him I think but…."

"He was a singer," Jo explained animatedly. She spoke a mile a minute, barely stopping to take a breath. "He was one of the greats-- from the '50s! And he had amazing songs and he influenced the Beatles and so many other people. But then he died in a plane crash at 22 years old with two other rock stars but he's still amazing today and-- he's the one who made these glasses famous 'cause he's just-- well, like--- he's just awesome."

"Oh," Murphy said. It was all he could utter in his shocked state. Jo, it seemed, was very much a split-personality. One minute, she'd bite your head off and then some and the other minute, she was talking incessantly and happily like a normal teenage girl. He finally just nodded and chuckled. "Well--- seems like ye are obsessed with the past."

"Yeah…." Jo said, nodding happily. She loved losing herself in movies, books and music. Sometimes it made life easier. "I like it that way," she muttered, more to herself than to Murphy. He had jumped off the ledge and now stood less than three feet away from her.

It was then that she turned to look at him; to look at him and actually see him. His brown hair was shaggy and tousled from just waking up. His eyes were a deep blue and had a little bit of grey in them, making him look mysterious. His face had early morning stubble and Jo noticed a few tiny scars on his chin and left cheek, no doubt from one of his 'Saints' missions. And for the first time that morning, she noticed that he stood before her wearing nothing but faded blue track pants. An unfamiliar feeling stirred inside of her and she turned away, trying to ignore it. It embarrassed her; she wasn't used to it.

Murphy noticed.

"See somethin' ya like?" he asked with an amused smile.

Jo scoffed. "Oh right! Fuckin' conceited!" But her tone betrayed her and it didn't come out as strongly as she intended. Murphy didn't push it.

A knock on the window made them both turn around. Connor stood on the other side, wearing boxers and an open robe. An unlit cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth and he looked tired. Quickly he nodded to Murphy who thought a moment and shrugged. Connor nodded more emphatically and continued on his way to the bathroom. Jo watched all of this with a slightly confused and slightly amused expression.

"Twin speak?" she asked with a slight smile. Murphy chuckled and slid open the door to walk back into the apartment.

"Somethin' like that," he replied and stepped in. He waited for her to follow and then shut and locked the door behind him when she did. "Get dressed," he said before beginning to get ready himself. "We're goin' to get somethin' to eat."

"At a restaurant?" Jo asked, her voice a bit timid.

"Aye." He pulled his navy blue t-shirt over his head and substituted his track pants for well-worn blue jeans. He obviously didn't mind dressing in front of her but Jo tried not to look anyway. "Got a problem with restaurants?" he asked.

Jo shook her head. "No. Can't a person ask a fuckin' question anymore? Jesus!"

Jo hastily grabbed her bag from where she dropped it and barged into the bathroom just as Connor was coming out. He looked down at her but she snapped at him and disappeared into the small bathroom, slamming the door loudly behind her. Connor joined Murphy and began dressing. It only took them a few minutes but they spent the next fifteen sitting at the table and smoking.

Neither of the MacManus brothers had any experience with living with women, especially young teenage girls. At their childhood home in Ireland, it had only been them and their mother. They may be the Saints of Boston, the fierce killers that got rid of all the evil men who threatened society, but when it came to women, Connor and Murphy were nothing more than fluffy little kittens.

"Shit, Con," Murphy said, flicking the ashes from his cigarette onto the table. "What the fuck is she doin' in there?" He was always the impatient one and sitting around waiting made him nervous.

"Who knows?" Connor took one last extremely long drag on his cigarette and then blew a few smoke rings before throwing it into a glass of water that had been sitting there for days. "Women are fuckin' weird."

"Aye," Murphy agreed, pointing his cigarette in Connor's direction. The smoke he blew out framed his face for a minute before rising up and disappearing. "But this lass is a bit fuckin' insane ain't she?"

Connor nodded. "More than a bit, Murph." He sat forward then, leaning close to Murphy's face. He turned to make sure Jo wasn't near before speaking. "I don't like it, though."

"What?"

"Her," Connor said in a whisper. "I still say she ain't tellin' us all there is to know. Some things don't make any fuckin' sense, y'know?" Murphy agreed as he paused for a moment before continuing. His eyes twinkled as his brain kicked in overdrive. "Like how she was kidnapped and how she lived with a dealer for so long. And I saw how she nearly threw a fit when you touched her. I'm tellin' ya Murph, somethin' just ain't right."

"Aye," Murphy said. "We'll find it out, Con. She can't go on keepin' shit hidden."

The resounding click of the bathroom door filled the room and both men turned to her. She had completely changed her clothes from the previous day but she still looked like a cross between a hippie rocker and a tom boy. She wore tighter-fitting black jeans with a white tank top with a black vest over it; the kind that belonged to a man's tuxedo. Hanging from her neck was a metal peace symbol on a string and dangling from her ears she had small peace symbol earrings to complete the set. Her shoes were another pair of converse, this time older-looking ones, that were tie-dyed an array of different colours. Her hair hung straight down and she wore little make-up on her face. She caught Connor and Murphy's stares and put her hands on her hips, staring straight back with her lips pursed.

"Oh, now what?"

Both said nothing and put their jackets instead, Jo following suit. She watched them both, amused at the way they both put their jackets on the same way and straightened them the same way. It was like they were two parts of the same person and everything they did, they did perfectly in sync. As far as she could tell, though, the twins were different in only two ways. In looks and in personality. Connor was more easy going but also the more intense one. Murphy was a little bit uptight and a tiny bit of a worrywart but also kind of funny.

"Hey," Jo said after she had slipped into her own coat. One of her buttons had begun to pop off so she fixed it as she spoke. Connor and Murphy turned to her. "Which one of you is the older one?" she asked.

Her question had caused both of them to chuckle. "If only we knew," Murphy said.

Jo's face crinkled in confusion. "You-- don't know?"

"Aye, that's right, we don't," Connor replied with a chuckle. "Our mother won't tell us."

"That's fuckin' retarded!" Jo cried in disbelief. She smiled, though and shrugged. "It's fine. I think I know anyway."

That was enough to catch their attention. Both spun around and walked over to wear she sat at the table, re-tying her left shoe. She smiled at both of them who were know staring down at her, the curious expression evident on both of their faces.

"Who do ya think is older?" Murphy asked, the eagerness making his voice slightly higher.

"Yeah, who?" Connor followed, his voice sounding just as eager. Jo openly laughed. For two men who were said to be merciless killers, they could sure act like five year old boys sometimes.

"Sorry," Jo said. She stood up, staring into both of their faces before continuing. An impish smile was on her lips and her eyes twinkled with laughter. "From what I've seen--- I think Connor's older."

Qucikly, she walked out of the door, hearing Connor's loud triumphant laugh behind her followed by Murphy telling him to fuck off. She laughed and waited at the elevator for the boys to catch up. When they finally got there, Jo noticed that their coats were a bit ruffled and that both of them were slightly out of breath. She shook her head at them, much like a mother would when reprimanding her children.

"What?" she asked, looking from one to the other a few times before settling on Murphy. "You guys have a fight?" Murphy didn't answer but Connor's smug smile was enough to tell her that they had fought and he had won. "Idiots," she muttered to herself and pressed the down button.

After a ten minute walk down the busy Manhattan street and after Jo breaking up a mini fight between the brothers, they arrived at the small coffee shop that Murphy and Connor frequented since arriving in New York almost a year before. Jo had seen it only in passing and this was the first time she would actually enter it.

It was a nice little place that was decorated like a normal coffee shop, with warm, dark colours and tables with comfy chairs around them. On the left side of the coffee shop were booths, the kind with the stuffed, couch-like backing like most restaurants had. On the far wall was the counter where you'd place your order and receive a number to put on your table. After a while, the waitress would bring your food over and after you were finished, you'd go and pay at the counter.

It was more than just a coffee shop though, as it sold more than just coffee. People came for the all day breakfast and bakery-style pastries. Connor and Murphy had stumbled upon it one morning while they were exploring their new surroundings and ever since, they made it a ritual to eat there at least 3 times a week if not everyday.

Jo walked in ahead of the twins and walked over to a corner table, plopping into the plush, dark green chair beside the window. She shrugged out of her pea coat and threw it over the back of the chair. Connor and Murphy sat in the adjacent chairs and followed Jo by picking up the small plastic menu on the little brown table.

"Well, what do ya want?" Connor asked, his eyes scanning the menu quickly. He looked up at Jo, who apparently didn't hear him. He snapped his fingers in front of her face and she finally looked up.

"Yes?"

"What do ya want?" Connor repeated. Jo just shrugged and threw the menu down a bit too harshly. It bounced off the table and hit the floor.

"I don't know," she replied, retrieving the menu. "There isn't much I can eat."

"Whad'ya mean?" Murphy asked. His brow was furrowed in confusion.

"I have certain allergies," she explained with a wave of her hand. She had said it so many times before that it now it sounded rehearsed. "I can't eat eggs because it would kill me so I can't eat anything made with eggs, which is like basically everything here so I can't really eat much."

"Oh," Murphy said, a bit baffled by the way she could say things in one breath. Connor just nodded in her general direction, his attention now averted back to the menu. It had been a while since they had eaten good food and he wanted to make the most of it.

"All right," Jo said as she put the menu down, slowly this time, and leaned back into the chair. She pulled her legs up underneath her and looked at the patiently waiting Connor. "Get me a bacon sandwich with a black coffee with two-- no-- four sugars," she said.

Connor smirked but turned to Murphy. "And for ye?"

"Same as fuckin' always ye eejit," was his answer, followed by a smack to his brother's head.

Connor got up and taking some money from his brother, made his way to the counter. There were five people ahead of him line and judging by the looks of it, there would be a pretty long wait. Murphy took the opportunity to get some answers out of Jo, figuring it would be less likely for her to throw a tantrum in a public place. Then again, with a girl like Jo, it seemed like anything could be possible.

Murphy leaned forward, looking into Jo's eyes. "I never seen anyone with two different coloured eyes before," he finally said. He had been searching for a way to initiate conversation and her bright eyes caught her attention first. They stood out on their own but her big glasses magnified them slightly.

"Yeah, well, I'm different," Jo said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There isn't sense in denying it." She smiled but the twist in her lips made it look like a smirk instead. "My eyes may be interesting but I don't think that's what you really wanted to say." She sighed and sat forward again, her legs still underneath her. "Go ahead," she said. "Ask away, Sherlock."

"Aye I will," Murphy said, holding back a smile. He turned serious a second after, much like someone flipped a switch. "You gotta tell us stuff-- we hardly know anythin' about ye."

Jo nodded, her face turning to stone almost immediately. She tensed up and shut her mouth tight like a clam. It suddenly seemed like she had turned into a cold, alabaster statue and nothing, much less no one could move her. But she relaxed a moment later as she pushed the fear out of her body and forced herself to remain calm. She usually wasn't one to offer information, especially about herself. But if she expected Connor and Murphy to help her, then they had to trust her and if she wanted them to trust her, she would have to volunteer information, no matter how much she hated to.

Murphy waited, sitting with his arms crossed as he intently watched the changes in her expression. It was clear on his face that he would wait as long as he had to for her to give him answers. He looked quickly over to Connor who was now next in line.

"What?" Jo asked, sighing. She didn't have as much bite as she intended. "You know all the facts already. You guys are like the fuckin' hardy boys or something." Murphy didn't laugh and more irritably she snapped, "What do you want to know?"

"How did that drug dealer kidnap ye?" Murphy asked. "And why?"

Jo tripped over her words for a moment before pausing to take a breath. When she met his eyes again, she had a different look in her eyes. A look that suggested that her past was something horrible and something that would kill her to talk about. But as much as Murphy didn't want to see this girl hurt, he knew the mission mattered more sometimes. He made sure not to let his feelings show on his face as he knew Jo was doing as well.

"Look," Jo finally said in a voice that betrayed nothing. "It isn't something I'm used to fuckin' telling people, y'know?" Murphy nodded quickly and she continued. "I lived at that--- orphanage all my life, obviously, and like all orphanages, people come to look at the children. Like fuckin' window shopping," she muttered.

Connor had just finished placing their orders and made his way back to the table, slipping into his seat as Jo continued talking. She paused briefly to look at him and then continued. She avoided eye contact as she spoke, nervously biting her nails and pulling at strands of her hair.

"So one day _he _came," Jo said bitterly, the words as sharp as knives. "He pretended to be looking to adopt but as he left--- he grabbed me. I was in the foyer, waiting to be yelled at by the headmaster for doing something or another. And-- he just put me in his car and took me away."

"Aye," Connor said, a deep look on his face. "We figured as much. But what happened after?"

"After?" Jo asked. She seemed to choke on her words again as if she was unsure about what to say. She racked her brain, trying to force the words to come out in a way that made sense. "He took me back to his place first," she explained. "And then he dragged me all over the goddamn world! First to Boston, then to Jersey and then even to Canada before coming back here."

"And he kept ye?" Murphy asked. Jo nodded.

"Yeah he fuckin' kept me," she spat and her lips twisted into a sneer. "I was his little drug runner. I did the stuff he couldn't be seen doing. I've been to so many fuckin' places in my life that nobody should ever see. Oh sure, he bought all the shit I ever wanted and more, but it still doesn't change the fact that I was a fuckin' drug runner. But," she concluded, shrugging, "that was my life and I ain't gonna get anywhere now by griping now am I? No," she answered, shaking her head adamantly. "I'm not."

Connor and Murphy stared at her, both unsure of what to say. Jo stared back, her body slightly shaking with anger as she undoubtedly ran over the events of her childhood in her mind. Angry tears threatened to escape her eyes but she held her head back and shook them away. She hadn't cried in a long time and she wasn't about to start now. Murphy caught Connor's eyes and nodded toward Jo. Connor understood and he leaned over the table.

"Did he ever--?" Connor began but stopped when the waitress came by. She placed their food in front of them and after throwing a wink Connor's way, went back to her post behind the campus. Connor began again. "Did that bastard ever--- ever touch ye?"

Jo stiffened so much, so fast that it appeared that her spine was made of elastic. The smouldering look in her eyes and the way her knuckles turned white as she gripped the chair handles was answer enough. Murphy realized at that moment why Jo had reacted so strongly when he had come up behind her on the balcony. As if her body language wasn't enough, Jo explained, the words so bitter they left a sour aftertaste.

"He was a fuckin' dirty man," she said, biting at her nail so hard it began to bleed. "He thought he could touch me and get away with it. He did for a while. I was a fuckin' kid, I didn't know what the hell was going on! But when I turned fifteen, he tried to do more but I shot him in the foot, thanks to the gun he forced me to carry." She shrugged, picking up her coffee and carefully sipping it. "Needless to say, he never fuckin' touched me again."

Once again, she found herself being stared at by Connor and Murphy. They both went through a range of emotions that flashed across their faces at rapid speed. First came shock then pity then finally anger. If they were dogs, they would be foaming at the mouth. It made Jo almost smile.

"That bastard!" Murphy swore, slamming his fist down onto the table so hard that she flinched at the imagined pain.

"There's no point in getting mad now," Jo said as she closed her eyes and massaged her temples. "Besides," she continued with a smirk, "Whad'ya guys gonna do? Shoot his already dead body? Make him more deader?"

Connor didn't smile. "No. But I'm sure we could have done much worse."

"Listen," she said, throwing her hands up in a dramatic fashion. "It's fine, all right? It happened a long time ago now and it doesn't matter anymore." She couldn't ignore the fact that she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince them. "Can we just forget it now?" she asked, picking up her sandwich and biting into it. "We have more important things to worry about like-- who the people are who are coming after me…. y'know?"

"Aye," Murphy said, taking a whole strip of bacon and stuffing it in his mouth. "That's what we plan to do."

Jo looked sceptical. "Whad'ya mean 'that's what we plan to do'?" She had unsuccessfully tried to imitate his voice, accent and all but it came out half-British and half-Australian instead.

"Just that, lass," Connor explained. He had already downed his coffee and eaten half of his stack of pancakes drowned in syrup. "We have somethin' to follow up today."

"Like what?" Jo asked. An eager smile crept onto her face. "Do I get to come?"

"No," Connor said bluntly, but the firmness was there. Jo's smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "We can't risk ya right now," he explained in a no-nonsense tone. "If we run into whoever's after ye, ya can't be there."

"I guess fuckin' not," Jo agreed, albeit petulantly, like a child who was told to stay inside on a sunny day. "But where you gonna leave me? Aren't you afraid I'll run away or something?" There was a mischievous glint in her eye suggesting that she just might try.

"Aye, we actually are," Murphy replied, a full smile dancing on his lips. "We ain't leavin' ya alone if that's what yer worried about."

"A fuckin' baby-sitter?" Jo exclaimed loudly. Some people turned to look at the table. She stared at both of them like they had sprouted wings and flew away. "A fuckin' baby-sitter?" she repeated in a lower tone of voice. "I'm 19 years old and you dicks get someone to watch me?"

"Relax!" Murphy said, unable to keep himself from laughing at her incredulous reaction. He had to stop drinking his coffee for fear of spitting it across the table. "You said yerself--- ya might run away!" He roared loudly and Connor joined him, tears streaming down both their cheeks as Jo glared at them angrily.

"Are you fuckin' done?" she asked, still glaring. When they finally stopped and wiped their dripping eyes, she relaxed. "So," she said, "who's this baby-sitter? The old lady from across the lane?"

Murphy chuckled. "No-- our friend, Al."

"Al?"

"Aye," Connor replied. "He's a good guy, a good friend."

"Is he like you?" Jo asked hesitantly.

"Irish?" Murphy offered.

"A man?" Connor followed right away.

"Hahaha, cute," Jo said sarcastically. "I meant--- does he help you do what you do? Y'know-- Saints stuff?"

"Oh! No," Connor said, shaking his head. "Al's--- well, he's a bit of a real good guy. He doesn't approve of what we do."

"But he doesn't tell the police or turn you in or whatever?" She finished the last bite of her sandwich and drank the last of her coffee before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Most people would, y'know."

"Thankfully not," Murphy said with a smile. He finished his breakfast but left one slice of bacon on the plate. Jo snagged it quickly and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing and throwing a smirk Murphy's way. "He's a real good guy, though." Murphy said again. "Kinda like Roc."

Connor didn't reply. His face had turned sad and almost a little angry at the mention of "Roc." Murphy's face revealed pure hurt and sadness while his eyes burned with unshed tears for the friend they once knew and lost. Jo sat still, unsure of how to react but her curious nature tugged at her mind, for she was sitting there wondering who this "Roc" person was and why the mention of his name had caused the MacManus brothers to stop in their tracks.

Tentatively she asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothin'," Connor mumbled and got up quickly to pay the bill at the counter. Murphy stood and began to put on his coat, his eyes gazing at the floor and avoiding Jo's curious eyes.

"Well?" Jo asked, following suit and slipping into her own coat. "Who's this 'Roc' guy?"

"Ye lost a button," Murphy replied instead of answering her question. It seemed to avert her attention and caused her to forget her query.

"Ahh shit," Jo cursed. There was an empty spot on the right lapel of her coat where the button once resided. "I lost the _Magical Mystery Tour _button!" She fell to the floor in a flash, looking behind and under the chair. A few seconds later, she popped up with a triumphant smile on her face. "Aha! Got it!"

"Come on," Connor said as he appeared next to them. He crumpled the receipt in his fist and threw it onto the empty plates they had left behind. He slipped into his coat and buttoned it quickly. "Al's meetin' us outside in ten minutes," he announced. "We better go wait for him."

"You guys go ahead," Jo said. "I gotta go to the bathroom first." She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and sighed exaggeratedly when she was given twin looks of suspicion. "I am not going to fuckin' run, dammit!" she cried, throwing her hands up in desperation. "Here," she said, taking her iPod from her pocket and throwing it to Murphy. "Now you know I'll come back."

"Hurry up!" Connor called after her and in reply, he received a flash of her middle finger before she disappeared around the corner. Chuckling, he and Murphy made their way outside to wait.

The small bathroom was brightly lit with white fluorescent bulbs that buzzed and flickered when you turned them on. It was a singular bathroom, meaning that only one person at a time could use it. The walls were painted a dull brown and were chipping in certain places. The sink and toliet looked like they were once shiny white porcelian but now they looked caked and gross from years of wear and tear. Lowering the toliet seat, she sat on the lid, putting her head in her hands and groaning loudly.

She was angry for letting Murphy force her into talking and furthermore, she was even angrier at herself for spilling so many of the details of her past that she had swore she would never let anyone know. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she tell her business to two guys she had just met the day before? Maybe it was because she felt something strange inside every time she looked at Murphy. When she looked at him, she felt a weird calm wash over, something that she wasn't used.

"Uggh!" she groaned loudly, standing up from the toliet and spinning around to face her reflection. She didn't like what she saw. Sure, on the outside she looked normal. But it was what she saw in her eyes that she hated. The utter disgust that she felt at the moment overwhelmed her and she stopped to catch her breath.

"Get a hold of yourself," she chastised her reflection, staring at herself with a cold, dead expression. "You better watch yourself."

After one last glaring look at the mirror, she ripped open the metal door and stalked out of the coffee shop. Before joining the twins on the busy street corner, she forced a semi-happy look on her face so they wouldn't suspect anymore than she wanted them to. They waited on the street corner just to the right of the coffee shop where a few benches were placed; adjacent to the bus stop. Connor was looking through a newspaper and Murphy, much to her disdain, was looking through her iPod. Both were smoking and when Jo approached, she plucked the cigarette from Murphy's mouth and put it in her own.

"Hey!" he cried out in surprise but didn't move to take it from her. She squeezed in between them, facing Murphy. "Shit," he said, lighting up another cigarette. "Ye got a lot of fuckin' music on here don't ya?"

Jo shrugged and puffed on her cigarette, deliberately blowing a smoke ring in his face before replying. "I like a lot of different stuff. All '50s & '60s mostly."

"Yeah I can see that," Murphy replied, his attention now returned to the small iPod in his hand. He clicked onto a play list and rolled down the list to see the songs. Jo leaned in close, her hair grazing his cheek. She was so close that he could smell her sweet vanilla scent. For a moment he had been so enthralled that he didn't hear when she asked a question. "What?" he said.

"I said, deaf boy-- 'can I have my fuckin' iPod back now?"

"Oh shit, yeah." He smiled sheepishly and handed the device back to her which she safely pocketed. He threw a sidelong glace in Connor's direction who had been watching the exchange from the corner of his eye. His lips held a knowing smile which only made Murphy turn a darker shade of red.

"Hey Connor, Murphy!" said a voice off to the left.

All three heads turn to see Alfred Mollier, really better know as Al, come up toward them. He nearly crashed into a newspaper stand after jumping out of the path of a bike messenger. He finally managed to get to them, knocking Connor in the head with his knuckle as he passed by and then bumped fists with Murphy. He stood in front of them, with his hands on his hips as he stared down at Jo. He had shaggy blond hair, the colour of fresh wheat that hung into his almond-shaped brown eyes. He wore dark blue jeans and a faded Rolling Stones t-shirt. Plain black runners adorned his feet and his leather jacket hung open, the buckles clinking in the winds. A flash of dark passed over his eyes for a moment when he looked at Jo before returning to their natural twinkle.

"And who's this little lady?" he asked with an impish grin that reached his eyes.

Jo huffed and met his eyes with a glare. "I ain't a fuckin' 'little lady', buddy."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Al cried out loudly, his hands sweeping up in a dramatic gesture. Connor and Murphy chuckled but Jo still kept her glare.

"Al, this Jo," Murphy introduced. "She's our---- friend."

"Charmed, my dear," Al replied in a faux British accent, taking her hand and going down on one knee to kiss it. She yanked her hand back but smiled.

"Al here is an actor," Connor said after finally looking up from the newspaper. He folded it and lay it next to his leg. "Or at least his tryin' to be."

"Do not jest with me, good sirs," he said when the twins laughed, still with the accent. He had his hand on his chest and his other in the air like he was making some great announcement. "I assure I am more than an actor but an artist!" Finally he laughed himself and leaned against the light post in front of them. His happy expression turned a bit darker as he looked over his friends. "So--- are you guys going to do a job today?" The way he said the word 'job' made his mouth twist in disgust.

"Yeah," Connor replied with a tired sigh. He rubbed his face vigorously before looking back to his friend. "Don't worry about nothin', all right?" He stood and motioned to Murphy who follwed his lead. "We gotta leave now." He made his way to the car and got in without another word.

Murphy lingered behind, casting a smile on Jo. "Be good now. Don't cause any trouble for Al," he playfully warned, clapping Al on the shoulder.

"Fuck off Murphy," was Jo's reply.

After the car sped off down the cluttered Manhattan street, Jo felt strange sitting there with a man that she just met. Al stared down at her, the dark look that had passed through his eyes before now returned. He had a suspicious feeling ever since he first laid eyes on her. At first he thought he was crazy, that no, it couldn't possibly be her. But once he heard her voice and saw those eyes, he knew that he had finally unwrapped the mystery that had plagued so many important people for the last fifteen years. He had hit the mother lode.

"Are we gonna sit here all fuckin' day?" Jo snapped, breaking Al out of his epiphany. She stared up at him with her arms crossed across her chest and taping her foot impatiently.

"Yeah," Al replied, a bit distractedly. "Yeah. Come on." He led her to his car parked across the street, an old and beat-up '95 Honda Civic.

As she got into the car and buckled herself in, she felt a strange feeling wash over her. She didn't know but she began to feel that something was terribly long. Little did she know, she would find out within the next five seconds. Al took a while to get into the car and buckle himself in. It was as if he was taking a long time on purpose. He slowly took the key out of his jeans pocket and took time finding the key in the mess of the two dozen keys on the chain. And when he finally put the key into the ignition and started the car, at least ten minutes had passed.

As they were driving down the street for the short drive to the twin's apartment, Al turned casually toward her and dropped the biggest bomb that cause Jo's hear to fully stop and then start up again.

"What the hell are you doing, Josephine?"

Jo spun around quickly, her eyes betraying her. "W-w-what?" she finally managed to sputter out. Al smiled but it was a smile without feeling.

"Is that all you can say?" he asked, a cruel tone lacing his voice. "After all these years? I thought that you were kidnapped, living a horrible fate with a scum-of-the-earth drug dealer?"

"I was," she said, looking down at her lap. This was just the things that she didn't want happening. And now it was all coming down around her.

"Oh come now," he said with a chuckle. He swerved out of the way of an on-coming car and took a sharp right turn into the parking lot of the apartment building. He parked in an empty space near the back and then turned off the car. But he kept the door locked, leaving Jo with no way out.

"What do you want?" she pleaded, the toughness leaving her for the first time. She was more scared than ever now.

"Don't plead with me," Al warned, the mocking smile disappearing. "I don't want to turn you in--- yet. I just don't appreciate you using my friends."

"I'm not using them."

"Oh the hell you're not!" Al snapped, slamming his fist down onto the steering wheel. Jo jumped in spite of herself. "Don't give me that crap," Al said, pushing a finger into Jo's shoulder. She didn't push him away.

"I'm not using them," she said in a meek voice. "I swear I'm not. They found me by mistake. And now they're helping me. Can you blame me for taking protection when I need it?"

"Protection?" He let loose with a mocking laugh. "You don't need protection, little lady. You need exactly what they want to give you!"

"Fuck you!" Jo spat, turning to stare out of the window. She spoke in a softer tone now, her whole body shaking with the anxiety. "Nothing was my fault. I wasn't the one who came up with the plan. I don't have to own up to anything."

"Maybe so," Al agreed, unlocking the door. Jo bolted out quickly but still stood by the open door. "But it doesn't change the fact that you're living a lie and that now you have my friends wrapped up in it."

Jo didn't answer but looked away instead, the tears threatening to spill more than ever before. Al let himself out of the car and came over to Jo's side, shutting the door for her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around until her back was up against the car door. He put both arms on either side of her so that for a few moments, she was trapped. He leaned close so that his face was over hers.

"Listen to me, Josephine," he said, his tone slightly mocking. "I said I don't appreciate you doing this to Connor and Murphy. But I won't tell them--- not yet. I'm gonna give you the chance to." He leaned in closer, until she could feel his breath on her face. "Don't fuck it up."

He stayed the same for a moment longer, his eyes burning holes into hers. Then with his smile returning, he spun around and walked into the apartment building. For a few seconds, Jo stood there, deciding if she should take off now or follow Al into the building. She sighed, furiously swiping at the fugitive tear that escaped from the corner of her eye.

A little while later she sucked up all the courage she had deep inside herself and walked towards the door that led to the apartments. Perhaps she was choosing her fate right then, she wasn't sure but there was one thing she knew for certain. She was totally, all around and one hundred percent screwed.

And that was a fact.

* * *

**A/N: **Well…. There is the long-awaited (well I hope it was) chapter 2. Tell me what you think!!!! I hope I made it interesting enough and I hope the little twist was a good one. Anyway, please give me a nice lengthy review!!!!

- Addie

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	3. Everyone's Got A Plan For Everything

**Disclaimer: **Nope don't own it. Oh yeah and I don't own the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" either. Or the television shows or people I mentioned. Damn the disclaimer!!!! :P

**Summary: **Connor and Murphy go after a well known drug dealer who was linked to a 15 year old kidnapped case. But when they find him and the girl, they realize that their trouble has just begun and that as long as they have the girl, they have a price on their heads as well.

**A/N: **Hey everyone!!!! Well once again, thank you to all who have read the second chapter and reviewed. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I will try to make this next one ultra kick ass!!!! :P Oh and I'm excited--- why--- because I saw Boondock Saints II. And let me say, I loved it!!!! It was just wicked awesome and I loved seeing Connor and Murphy again!!!! Oh and yeah, I read through this chapter a few times so if there's any grammatical or other mistakes, I'm sorry!!!! Anyway…. here's chapter 3:

**Chapter 3: Everybody's Got Plans For Everything:**

* * *

Upon stepping into the deathly silent apartment after regaining her composure, it appeared as if nothing had changed. Al had treated the situation as if nothing had ever happened. He was in the small kitchenette, pouring himself a glass of orange juice and whistling an unidentifiable tune. He even had the balls to smile at her when she came through the door. There was nothing in his demeanor that suggested a confrontation between them and for a split second, Jo wondered if her freakishly paranoid brain caused her to hallucinate the whole encounter. But his eyes held something in them that caused Jo's stomach to twist furiously into knots of anxiety and fear.

He was taunting her, trying to make her break before she had the chance to get everything together. All she wanted was a normal life where no one was chasing her and where she didn't have a past that just wouldn't stay buried.

Turning her attention away from Al, Jo dropped onto the couch that had now become her bed, shrugging out of her jacket and letting it drop carelessly to the floor. She sighed, putting her head in her hands and letting the events of the past few minutes replay in her mind. Al had threatened to dig up things that she would have rather left forgotten and he threatened to expose them to the world and in doing that, he would drag her down so far that she would have no hope in ever coming back.

Sighing inwardly this time, Jo reached over and pulled her over-sized earphones out of her bag and placed them over her ears, plugging them into her iPod and picking a song. Leaning back into the beat-up but soft couch, she turned up the volume full blast and allowed herself to get lost into the music. At least for a while, the world could be shut out.

"_Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies._

_Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes."_

As she lay back with her eyes closed, her mind involuntarily traveled backwards, flashes of her past appearing at break-neck speed, all unceremoniously thrust at her by Al's threats. She was living through it all again, each and every little thing that she once saw and lived through running across her mind like an old horror movie set on an endless loop; over and over and over. The music flowing from the earphones was like a soundtrack for her haunting and disjointed images, leading her farther and farther down the spiral of buried memories.

"_Cellophane flowers of yellow and green, towering over your head. Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes and she's gone._

_Lucy In the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds."_

How she always used to wish so hard for her life to be different. In the rush of memories she wanted left for dead, a few surfaced that she hadn't meant to be forgotten. When she was younger, she used to sit around the old rabbit-eared television set and watch all the old shows that were shown late at night. It was there that she saw what families should be like and it was what she used as standards of what the perfect family should be.

She always asked herself why life couldn't be as easy as _Leave It To Beaver _or _Bonanza _or _The Brady Bunch_? It caused her endless nights of praying and wishing and hoping and begging God to give her a break. But the truly sad thing was that she lost all of her hopes and dreams once she grew up and realized that life wasn't that easy. Life had its way of creeping in and bashing you over the head with its harsh realities; something that she quickly learned and hardened her heart in response to.

"_Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies. Ev'ry one smiles as you drift past the flowers that grow so---"_

A hand had suddenly took hold of the earphones and ripped them off her head, the music abruptly stopping. Her small arm struck out in an effort to push that person away but they anticipated her reaction and grabbed her wrist, holding it tight and grabbing the other one when she tried to punch out a second time.

The laughter that followed stopped her struggling and when her vision finally focused, she saw Murphy staring into her eyes as he held both her arms in front of her. Amusement danced and flickered in his deep blue eyes and matched the smile on his lips.

"Murphy?!" she exclaimed loudly. She slugged his arm hard when he finally let go of her wrists. "Bastard! Who does that?!" She adopted an angry glare to cover up the fear on her face and hoped that Murphy didn't hear her pounding heart.

"Hi," he said, his smile turning dopey. "We're back." Jo looked over his shoulder to see Connor talking to Al. He had a file folder tucked under his arm and was gesturing emphatically. "We found somethin'."

"What?" Jo asked, her full attention snapping back to Murphy. "What did you find?" For a minute she held her breath, waiting for him to expose her right then and there.

"We found out who's after ya," he said, his smile gleeful. His eyes were gleaming with excitement but there was nothing else that suggested he knew about her.

"Really, who?" Jo asked, releasing a trapped breath. A attempt to smile turned into a pained grimace. Murphy seemed too excited to notice and he grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the table. She sat across from Al; Murphy and Connor on either side of her.

"So," she said, throwing up her hands in impatience when no one spoke. "You guys look pretty fuckin' excited but no one's saying anything!"

"We found somethin'," Connor replied, with the same satisfied and gleeful smile that Murphy gave her. She groaned loudly and dropped her head to the table.

"You've established that already," she said, her voice muffled. Lifting her head and throwing daggers with her eyes, she emphasized, "TEN FUCKING TIMES!!!!"

"All right," Connor replied with his hands up in surrender. He pointed one finger to the file he had placed in the middle of the table. It was a light brown folder, not too thick but filled with official looking documents nonetheless. "This," Connor explained as he tapped the folder with one long finger, "is all the police information on the Luciano family."

And there it was. It was like a gigantic thunderclap had exploded over them, reverberating through the apartment and causing Jo's heart to fully stop for a second before starting up again. She thought she saw a mocking smile on Al's face but when she looked again, he was watching Connor with an interested expression.

"Does---that mean anything' to ye?" Murphy asked. He had been watching her intently and he saw the change in her face when the "Luciano" name was mentioned.

She turned to look at him, forcing an unreadable expression on her face. " No, no. It doesn't mean anything to me. Who-- who are they?" She looked slightly away, not wanting to look Murphy in the eyes.

"Well," Connor continued, snapping her attention back. "The Luciano family is pretty notorious in these parts. They're the biggest Italian crime syndicate in New York. The head boss lives here in Manhattan."

"Yeah," Al agreed, fixing his eyes on Jo. She pretended not to notice. "I've heard of them. I know what they can do. My father knew someone who worked for them once and boy," he chuckled, his gaze on Jo growing more intense, "do I know a few good stories!"

"Aye," Murphy said, pointing at Al with the cigarette he had just lit up. The smoke from the glowing ember framed his face for a brief moment before disappearing. "We've heard some stories ourselves."

"Who gave you all this?" Jo asked as she skimmed through the papers in the file. There were names, dates, pictures, criminal records; everything possible they could want. She looked up at Connor, her eyebrows arched inquisitively. "You guys steal from the cops or something?"

The twins shared a look before Connor turned his gaze to her and said, "We've got a

few friends."

"Friends?" Her tone was doubtful and she crossed her arms over her chest, staring down at her hands as she desperately tried to keep her face from registering the raging storm inside of her.

"Aye, friends," Murphy said. He grabbed the folder and flipped over a few pages before stopping. He pushed it to the middle of the table so everyone could see the picture; a mug shot of an older man. "The boss himself," he said, between taking a drag and blowing out smoke.

"Bruce Springsteen?" Jo said, trying to ease the tension. Connor and Murphy chuckled but Al just stared, his eyes burning into her own.

"His name is--" Murphy paused to look down at the paper, "-- Armando Luciano. He's got operations running all over New York." He paused once more to meet Jo's gaze. "Including drug dealin'."

"We think that Pazz McClellan owed the boss some money," Connor continued, looking at the file as he spoke. "_A lot _of money. You were just caught in the wrong place."

"So what you're telling me is that I have the Italian mob after me?"

Connor shrugged. "Put simply--- aye, ya do."

"Great," she muttered, putting her head down on top of her folded arms. It was only a matter time now before everything would blow up in her face. She didn't need to look up to see if Al was staring at her. She felt his stare burning holes into her. Murphy cleared his throat and she raised her head again.

"You told us it was two guys who killed the drug dealer," Murphy said, scratching his chin. "Right?"

"Uh-huh, yeah, right," Jo replied, nodding her head. Connor tilted his head to the side, suspicion clouding his eyes. "I-I didn't see them…. I mean, I only glanced at them before I ran out. I just--- I didn't see them too well."

"That's fine," Murphy said, stubbing out his cigarette and sitting back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "We figured out who they were."

"You did?" Al asked, directing his tight, grim smile at Jo. He was sadistically enjoying her anxiety. "Who where they?"

"Messengers," Connor replied.

"More like hit men," Murphy added, flipping through a few more pages before stopping on another mug shot, this time of two men. Jo's heart stopped and started for the second time that day.

"Look familiar?" Al asked. Jo's eyes snapped toward him and she glared angrily at him.

"No," she said in a controlled voice. "I told you-- I didn't really see their faces too well." Her hands had begun to shake and she dropped them into her lap. "I-- who are they?", she asked, directing her question at Connor as she avoided Al's eyes.

"The grandsons of the boss," Connor said. "They are the only ones in the family, expect for one who disappeared a while back." He turned the file toward him to read the names. "Giovanni and Giorgio Luciano -- twins," He chuckled, " are the muscle. They send out messages for him, beatin's-- ya get the point."

"Fuckin' wonderful!" Jo said, her voice not holding it's usual bite. The trembling in her hands started to travel up her arms and she felt the cold chill of fear strike her heart. For a moment she eyed the door, wondering if she could make it out. But she would have no where to go. She looked back to the three men, forcing the tears in her eyes to stop before they fell. "What are we gonna do then?," she asked in a quiet voice. "You planning on going after them?"

"Eventually," Murphy said with a wide smile. It reached his eyes and made them twinkle. "But first we gotta get some stuff ready."

Jo had her hands together, fingertips pressed touching in front her face. "What the fuck do you mean 'stuff'? What stuff?"

"More information," Connor offered, lighting up his own cigarette. He held it between his index and middle finger as he spoke. "Some weapons. We gotta be ready for everythin' if this family's reputation precedes them."

Jo nodded, not knowing what to say anymore. The little anxiety she had felt before now racked her insides like sharp razor blades swirling in her stomach. She leaned forward, her hands now clasped in front of her face as if she were praying. She hadn't expected Connor and Murphy to find out as much information as they did. And now with Al on her back, she wasn't sure how she could survive. It was only a matter of time now and she knew it….

********

Jo was used to the nightmares that plagued her brain every night. She had had them for as long as she could remember and then some. But as she got older and her life got better, as better as it could possibly get, the nightmares came down a few notches to the point of being almost bearable. But the one she had that night was enough to cause the devil to piss himself with fear.

She always started out in the same dark room, sitting on a cold, hard chair in the middle. It was freezing cold and if there had been even a shred of light, she would have been able to see her breath materialize like smoke. As she sat there she tried to adjust her eyes so that she could see but it got her no where. The goosebumps running up and down her arms made her shiver and she rubbed at them furiously, trying desperately to make herself warm.

And then suddenly, a single spotlight fell upon her. Except the light wasn't soft as a stage spotlight was supposed to be but instead harsh and strong like the police would use when interrogating a criminal. Jo had to shield her eyes with her arm, only lowering it when the light diminished. The whole room was silent and in the distance she could hear the steady drip of water from a leaky pipe. Slowly, the sound was driving her crazy.

_Drip….drip….drip….drip….drip….drip…. _

She tried to call out but her voice just wasn't there. And when she tried to move her arms and legs, she couldn't. They were pinned down tightly like there was an invisible rope strapping her to the chair. She struggled and struggled, her heart racing faster and faster as the panic began to rise and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered about madly.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Loud, pounding footsteps that began louder as they drew closer to the only door of the room. Jo stopped struggling long enough to stare at the door, her mouth open and twisted in fear. If fear could manifest itself, her hair would have turned shock white by that point.

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The footsteps were like exaggerated gunshots and she felt each one reverberate through her entire body. When they stopped in front of the door, so did her heart and she waited with her breath held for the door to swing open and reveal the horror behind it. A key was thrust into the lock and turned, the sickening sound of metal scraping against metal echoing through the room and making Jo cringe. And then,

_BANG!_

The door was thrust open, the hinges screeching in protest from not being open for a while. It was thrown with such force that it hit the wall hard and caused sparks to fly when the metal grated against it. A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the light that shone against, making the man look like a character ripped out of a horror movie. Jo squirmed against the back of the chair, now feverishly trying to break free.

"_Well…. what do we have here?"_

As the figure walked closer, the spotlight on her began to expand outward, step by step until it reached the figure who had stopped only three feet away from her. The light reached out far enough so Jo could see the figure's face. Her voice came rushing back to her as she let out an ear piercing scream.

"_What's wrong? Didn't you know you'd have to face us again?"_

Jo struggled against her invisible bonds, tears of fear and frustration escaping her eyes. _"No…no this isn't real. You can't…."_

The man laughed, deep, resounding and evil. He looked down at her like a powerful judge handing down a sentence. _"You can't stay away forever. We will get you and when we do…"_

Two pairs of hands grabbed her from behind and dragged her backwards, the chair and the invisible bonds disappearing. Jo found herself pinned to the floor, lying on her back and her arms held by the two men who had grabbed her. Their faces were blurry and darkened but she didn't need to see them to know who they were. The other man loomed over her again, a smile like a Cheshire cat dancing on his lips. She squirmed and tried to scream but a hand covered her mouth.

The voices of the three men mingled together until they resembled a macabre chant, swirling around her like evil spirits rising from hell.

"_You should die…."_

"_You're going to pay…."_

"_You can't run forever…."_

"_Die….die….die….die…."_

"_Pay….pay….pay….pay…." _

And suddenly Connor and Murphy appeared in front of her, replacing the evil man who loomed over her seconds before. Al stood behind them, laughing and pointing at her, howling like a hyena. The twins stared down on her with matching expressions of pain and betrayal, their eyes accusing.

"_You lied to us."_

"_We thought we could trust you."_

"_Liar….liar….liar….liar…."_

The words became deafening as they swirled around her once more. She twisted and struggled on the ground, trying to get away from the faces and the voices.

"_LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!"_

"NO!!"

Jo bolted up suddenly, her chest heaving from the effort to catch her breath and sweat pouring from her, soaking her clothes straight through and matting her hair against her forehead. She looked around cautiously, holding her hand against her chest where her heart raced rapidly underneath. She was sitting up on the couch, the sweat-soaked blanket twisted around her legs and temporarily pinning her down.

"Have a nightmare did we?"

Jo whipped around, swinging her legs off the couch and letting the blanket slip to the floor after a brief fight with it. Al sat at the small table reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. He was dressed a bit more conservatively, wearing brown slacks and a white button up shirt. His hair was combed neatly and he looked cleanly shaven.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his eyes still on the paper he held in front of him. "Cat got your tongue?"

Jo didn't speak but instead listened for sounds of any other presence. There was none. She only heard the rustle of Al's newspaper and the steady drip of the bathroom faucet. Panic seized her heart immediately when she realized she was alone with Al.

"What are you doing here?"

"Connor and Murphy went to check up on stuff," he said. "They're getting all their 'stuff' remember?"

"Great!" Jo muttered, shaking her head and absentmindedly running a hand through her hair. "So they left me with you? Fuckin' great!"

Al laughed. "What's the matter, Josephine? You don't like me?" His laughter made her cringe and sent a shiver up her spine. She stood, smoothing out her wrinkled make-shift pyjamas.

"Don't fuckin' call me that," Jo snapped as she walked over to the fridge and poured herself some orange juice. She kept her eyes down, still refusing to meet Al's.

Al put down the paper and stood, coming up behind her. "Aww… don't be like that."

She spun around to move out of his way but he caught her wrists and pushed her against the fridge, once again trapping her. His lips were twisted into a horrible smirk and she tried to look away but he grabbed her chin and jerked her face back, forcing her to stare straight at him.

"You saw how much they found out," he said in a deathly calm voice. "What do you think they'll do when they find out? They'll probably hand you right over. A trade-- you for them."

"No," Jo said adamantly. "They wouldn't--- I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You didn't?" Al said, his tone mocking. "What do you think running away from your past is, huh? You think what your mother did was right? If you had any sense, you'd give yourself up and save everyone a hell of a lot of trouble."

"Oh right," she shot back, her confidence returning to her. "You talk about how you don't appreciate me lying to Connor and Murphy. But what about you?"

Al's smile disappeared like someone flicking off a switch. "What?"

"If what I'm doing is wrong then so is what you're doing!" she said, the words stabbing at him like tiny daggers. "You're lying to them too. What do you think they'll do if they find out about you?"

"You've gone insane, Josephine," he said with a faltering smile.

"They're gonna find you out, _Al_, " she said, a smile of her own forming on her lips. "They're gonna find out and they're gonna send _you _back. Maybe it's you who should watch your back!"

Al let go of her face and backhanded hard, causing her head to snap to the side and hit the fridge. She was stunned for a moment and scared because he was staring down at her with his eyes blazing angrily. For a few seconds, she held her breath, unsure if he would do something else. He almost raised his hand to hit her again but stopped, letting his face settle back into a smile.

"I guess you're right, Josephine," he said and leaned in close so their noses nearly touched. "But don't forget--- who do you think they'll believe? Someone they've known for a year or a mysterious girl they met a few days ago?"

Jo was stunned for a moment, the words stopping in her throat and choking her. "Bastard," she muttered finally. He just laughed in her face.

"You can't do anything to stop it," he said with a gleeful smile. "Even if you don't tell them, they're gonna find out. "

"I hope they kill you!" Jo spat and jerked her knee up quickly, catching Al in the groin. He gasped, his face turning purple and crumpled to the floor in pain. She jumped over him and ran over to the couch, grabbing her bag and locking herself into the bathroom to dress and get away from Al.

Jo stood in the middle of the tiny bathroom, taking off her pyjamas and kicking them to the corner. Slowly and somewhat mechanically, she slipped on a pair of tight blue jeans and a faded black Beatles t-shirt on top. Her hair was sticking out in all different directions and she quickly pulled it into a lopsided ponytail. She turned to the mirror to stare at her reflection. She didn't even recognize herself anymore. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and she had dark circles underneath them.

She stood at the door for a moment, putting her ear against and listening for Al's movements. She barely heard anything save for the scraping of a chair across the floor and the opening of a newspaper. Figuring it was safe, she unlocked the bathroom door and walked out slowly, scanning the room quickly. Al sat where he did when she had awoken and once again, it was as if nothing had happened. He was a better actor than she had thought.

"Connor and Murphy should be back soon," Al said evenly, his eyes travelling across the newspaper as he did. He barely acknowledged her. "Don't go too far."

Jo scoffed and turned away, rushing toward the door leading to the balcony, opening it and stepping out then shutting it harshly behind her. At least out there she could be alone with her thoughts and away from the condemning eyes of Al. She leaned against the ledge, staring down at the traffic that whizzed by below. It all looked so normal and ordinary and something she wished she could be experiencing at that moment. No one at her age, or no one in general, should go through what she was going through. It was unfair on so many levels and she was almost at her breaking point. The question was, what would happen when she finally broke?

********

"Bang!"

Murphy stood in the middle of the room, his legs spread apart and his arms straight out in front of him, a small black gun gripped tightly in his hands. He looked out of place, standing in a room filled with weapons with a playful smile on his face. Connor looked up from the gun he was checking out and shook his head at his twin.

"Christ, Murph, are ye five years old?"

Murphy relaxed, placing the gun on top of the table nearest him. "Ahh, fuck off!"

Connor chuckled to himself and cocked the gun, pointing it towards the target board on the wall and fired. The bullet launched itself from the gun and hit the middle of the target board, all happening within a split second. His eyes lit up excitedly and despite his chiding of Murphy for not acting his age, he smiled giddily like a kid on Christmas. He stuffed the gun into his black bag quickly and moved to the next wall which held bigger machine guns and hunting rifles. And then he saw it, hanging on the wall next to the guns. To him it glowed in heavenly white light, shining brightly as it called him closer.

Murphy turned and saw his brother reaching for the object. "Oh no ya don't!"

Connor spun around quickly, a half-sheepish smile on his face. "What? Aye, Murphy don't give me that shit again."

"Don't you fuckin' start with that!" Murphy warned, pointing at his twin with the gun he had been looking at seconds before. "What the fuck is with you and rope?"

"Hey! Hey!" Connor said, walking toward Murphy shaking his own hand toward him. He stopped a few feet in front of his twin. "You even said yerself the rope woulda helped!"

"The fuck I did!" Murphy exclaimed, throwing down the gun he held in his right hand and glaring at Connor.

"Don't you fuckin' deny it now, eejit!" Connor cried, gesturing wildly to make his point. "When we went to the drug dealer's apartment and fell through the ceilin', ya said 'where's the rope when ya need it?' Don't say ya didn't!"

Murphy huffed and looked away for a moment before turning back. "Yeah--- fine-- but I only meant it would have been useful then but why the fuck do you need it now?"

"It's the principle of it, Murph," Connor explained, leaning against the table with his arms crossed over his chest. He gestured with his left as he spoke. "Ya can't say when yer gonna fuckin' need it but it comes in handy!"

"Ya said that the first time," Murphy muttered, shaking his head and rubbing his temples. He hadn't been sleeping too well lately and he felt a migraine coming on. Sighing, he looked up at Connor. "Whatever, I don't give a fuck anymore about yer dumb rope! Get it but don't expect me to carry it!"

"That's fuckin' fine with me," Connor said, smiling as he pulled the rope off its hook and shoved it into his bag. He smirked as he walked over to where Murphy was looking over some small hand grenades. "Ya know--- ye always listen to me. It's why I\m the oldest!"

Murphy turned on him, grenade still in hand. "Ye aren't the oldest!"

"Jo said I was," Connor said with a smug smile. Murphy poked Connor's shoulder as he began to get increasingly angry. It didn't take much to send him over the edge and Connor knew it.

"Who fuckin' cares?" Murphy snapped, turning his attention fully to his brother now. He was squeezing the grenade in his hands dangerously tight. "She doesn't know nothin'! She was just guessin'!"

"Right," Connor said in a patronizing tone, still smiling smugly. He was about to go back to looking at the guns on the wall when he heard Murphy growl and turned just in time to see Murphy jumping on him. They fell to the ground, Murphy landing on top of Connor and unsuccessfully trying to pin him to the ground. Connor flipped him over, causing him to land on his back. For a moment, they both just lay there. "Ya like her, don't ya," Connor said suddenly.

Murphy sputtered for a moment before managing, "Wha--no-- I-- What the fuck ya talkin' about?" He looked way conveniently so Connor couldn't study his face.

"Ya do remember we're twins right?" Connor said with a chuckle. Murphy didn't answer. Connor lifted himself and nudged his brother's shoulder. "Come on. Ya can't hide it. I saw how ya keep lookin' at her. And I know she looks at ye."

"Really?" Murphy turned his head sharply and then mentally kicked himself when he realized he basically just proved Connor right. He swore under his breath as he took Connor's hand and rose to his feet.

"Just be careful, Murph," Connor said, his face turning serious. "We still don't know that much about her."

"Aye," Murphy agreed. "She was actin' weird when we told her the information we found yesterday."

Connor nodded. "Like she wasn't surprised?"

"Aye."

"It'll be fine," Connor said, stuffing a few last things in his bag before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder. Murphy did the same. "What's the worst that can happen?"

If only they knew….

* * *

**A/N **Well there you have it!!!! It isn't as long as the other ones but it's all I had to write for this chapter. I didn't want to force any more out of me or else it just wouldn't be as good. But anyway, I hope you liked. Please review and tell me what you thought!!!!


	4. The Calm Before It All Explodes

Disclaimer: **Nope don't own it. And don't own whatever and whoever else I mention. However, the bar is made up so I guess I own that! And whatever else that is a fictional place or person is mine. Man, disclaimers are retarded, huh?**

**Summary: **Connor and Murphy go after a well known drug dealer who was linked to a 15 year old kidnapped case. But when they find him and the girl, they realize that their trouble has just begun and that as long as they have the girl, they have a price on their heads as well.

**A/N: **Hey readers!!!! Thank you for reading the last chapter and reviewing, it is greatly appreciated!!!! I'm glad everyone likes it and if I ever need to improve on me, just tell me and I will do my best to fix it. Oh and FYI, I respond to everyone's reviews individually as you obviously know. I never used to but I think it's nice and better than replying to everyone's in the story itself. Ok well anyway--- read on!!!!

**Important Chappie Info: **Ok so I'm probably stating the obvious but just to be sure, the italic part is meant to be a flashback. Thanks!!!! J

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Calm Before It All Explodes:**

"And that's all of it?"

Al nodded silently, squirming in the overstuffed, hard leather chair that he had been sitting in for nearly an hour. Sweat was forming in little beads on his forehead and escaping down his face and suddenly the collar of his shirt felt a bit too tight. He fidgeted nervously, crossing his left leg over his right and then switching a few seconds later. One wrong word or movement might get him killed.

"Are you sure, kid?"

"Y-y-es sir," Al said, wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. He hated appearing afraid but he wasn't exactly brave when put in this situation either. He shifted his eyes away, choosing to examine the room instead.

The office itself, much like the rest of the mansion, was panelled in dark mahogany with pure gold fixtures. The furniture matched the panelling and the thick red carpet was plush and covered the entire area of the room. Al sat in one of the red leather chairs positioned in front of the mahogany desk, waiting as the man he knew to be his boss scrutinized him.

Al remembered being in the office only one time in his life. He was barely eight years old and oblivious to what really went on. His father was called up for not making a delivery on time and Al made the mistake of going with him. It was there a young and innocent Al witnessed his father get his thumb chopped off. And now sitting in the office, his stomach turned with the fear that the same was about to happen to him.

After another few seconds, his boss relinquished his gaze and leaned back in his own chair. At first glance, he didn't look intimidating but like someone's nice grandfather instead. He was a tall man with a full head of grey hair and dark ebony eyes that shined brightly like newly polished marbles. The glasses he wore seemed too big for him and always slid down to the bridge of his nose. He had soft features and his lips seemed eternally fixed in a small smile. By looking at him, one wouldn't be able to see his sadistic and evil nature hidden under his smile and grandfather eyes.

"Well?" He asked, his voice deep and resounding with the remnants of a once thick accent. "Is that all you can tell me? I expect details of what I'm up against. Isn't that what I assigned you to do?"

Al swallowed before answering. "I-- yes. She was rescued by two Irish brothers. The MacManus brothers."

"Ahhh," was the other man's reply. Interest filled his eyes and caused them to shine. "Are these the 'Saints' I have heard so much about? The ones from Boston?"

"Yes," Al replied, nodding as he spoke. "I met them a year ago when they first arrived here. It was only recently I found out they were the Saints. They--they found the girl by accident."

"And they took her in?"

"Yes--sir," Al said. His voice cracked slightly as the other man's gaze became more intense with every word he spoke. "When Giovanni and Giorgio went to get rid of the drug dealer and the girl, she ran and-- the brothers, they showed up and found her." He paused, furiously wiping at the sweat on his face with his shirt sleeve. "And now they're keeping her with them--- and---"

"Go on," the boss said once Al stopped. He had his hands folded in front of him and when Al Didn't answer he clapped loudly, startling Al and forcing him to look up. "And what?"

"I don't know how and I swear--I-I didn't tell," Al stuttered, tripping over his words nervously as he once more avoided the other man's gaze.

"SPIT IT OUT!"

"They know about you," Al blurted, wincing as the words rang in his ears. "They found out who you are and who killed the drug dealer."

"The girl? What about the girl?" He waved his hands about impatiently as he stood, looming over the desk and his shadow falling upon Al.

"No, they don't know about her yet," Al said, pressing himself farther into the chair. "But I think they are planning to come after you. It's--- it's--- it's what they do. And they think they have to rescue the girl from the men who killed the drug dealer."

"Yes yes, that's good," the boss said, sitting down again. His eyes became bright again but this time with an idea. He leaned against the desk with his hands together, fingertips touching. "Keep it that way and don't do anything else. With the way they're going-- they will lead themselves to me. And with them, she will come."

"What-- what should I do?"

"Nothing. You remain there and make sure the girl comes when she's supposed to. Understand?"

"Yes, I--I--I understand," Al said and stood up. He made his way to the door, pausing when he reached it. He turned back for a moment.

"Don't screw it up, boy. You know what happens if you do."

"I do," Al replied, nodding slightly. "I won't screw this up, Mr. Luciano."

********

"What are we doing here?"

Jo sat between Connor and Murphy in the vacant church, her whispering voice loud enough to cause a small echo. After having a small dinner at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the twins decided to go to the church and Jo had no choice but to go along. Murphy hadn't heard her the first time so she waited for him and Connor to finish. They were both kneeling in front of the oak pew in an identical position, both whispering they're prayers to themselves as they clutched the rosaries they wore around their necks.

Jo sat back in the pew with a frustrated sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. Trying to get either of the boys to talk when they were praying was like trying to open an aluminium can with a plastic knife. She let her eyes travel around the church, taking in every intricate detail as abstract thoughts flew through her mind. The church itself was old but improved from renovations that were done over time. Paintings ran along one wall depicting the stations of the cross while statues of various saints ran along the other. The altar was all white marble and gold and there were candles everywhere.

At that moment, she and the twins were the only people in the church and it only made it seem that much bigger. Sighing, Jo rose and stepped over Murphy, landing somewhat on her feet in the aisle. She made her way over to the wall with the paintings of the stations of the cross and stood there, looking them over. She didn't hear Murphy come up behind her and she jumped slightly when he appeared in her peripheral vision. He chuckled, tucking the rosary beneath his t-shirt and stuffing his hands in his pockets. Jo turned to look back at the pew and saw that Connor was still there, kneeling and praying. When she turned back to Murphy she caught him staring at her and he recoiled like someone snapping a rubber band, sheepish look on his face.

"Ye look bored," he said before she could ask why he was staring at her.

"Bored, tired, same difference," Jo replied, shrugging and leaning against the nearest row of pews. He did the same and they stood there for a moment, arms slightly touching. "So-- why did you two drag me down to a church at nine in the evening?" she finally asked, looking up at him.

"Somethin' we have to do," Murphy said matter-of-factly. He shrugged. "It's better if we do it alone. Less conspicuous that way."

"Wouldn't it save you the trouble by just praying yourself at home?" Jo asked, obviously missing the importance of religion in the MacManus family.

"Aye," Murphy said in agreement. "But like I said-- it's somethin' we have to do."

"Okay then."

It was silent between them and the church atmosphere made it even more apparent. For a few moments, they both stared at the painting before them. It was the station where Jesus was carrying the cross on his back, walking to his own death. He was giving up his life so that others would be able to live. It struck a chord within her and she had to look away, choosing to stare at the mural of angels atop the confessional booths instead.

Murphy followed her gaze. "Do ye got somethin' to confess?"

"No!" she said, too fast. She exhaled the breath she had been holding and smiled. "Church isn't my thing."

"You don't believe in God, then?" Murphy asked, turning to sit on the bench. Jo remained where she was, her back partially to him.

"I do, I guess," she replied, her eyes returning to the painting once more. "I just--I never really got into whole religion thing. Between living in an orphanage and a with a drug dealer, religion really wasn't a pressing concern."

"Aye, I guess not." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the pew in front on him and resting his chin on his palms. "Wouldn't it be nice to believe in somethin' you can't see? Like-- maybe someone else is guidin' ye?"

"Murphy?"

"Hmm?"

"Let me tell you somethin, okay?" she said, spinning around to face him. Moving into the pew ahead of Murphy, she leaned forward, until their faces nearly touched. "After seeing what I've seen and doing what I did, I only believe in the things I see with my own eyes and even then, I'm not always sure." She remained there for a few seconds, feeling the quickened pace of her beating heart. But finally, she pulled away.

"Hey."

Both Jo and Murphy turned their eyes to the right in time to see Connor walking up toward them. He stretched and tucked his rosary safely away under his shirt, like Murphy had done before. He stood between them, looking back and forth from his twin to Jo, waiting for one of them to say something. When neither offered anything, he clapped his hands in front of him and smiled.

"Shall we?"

Jo raised her eye brows questioningly. "What? Where are we going now? Bible study?"

Connor chuckled. "No-- someplace we think you'll like."

"Aye," Murphy said, standing up to join his brother. He winked at her. "And some place we can blow off some steam before---" He stopped, sharing a sidelong glance with Connor.

"Before---?" Jo said, waving her hands in front of her to get him to continue. "Let's not play charades here! Before what?!"

"Before we take on the Italians," Connor said and for a second, Jo could swear she heard thunder boom over the church.

"You're-- going after them?" Jo asked, pronouncing each word slowly. She stared at both of them for a moment before throwing up her hands. "Are you fuc--" she paused, looking up at the altar. "Are you freakin' crazy?!"

"We are," Connor said, smiling at her as if she asked the stupidest question. Murphy's expression matched his as well and she concluded that talking to a brick wall would be an easier task.

"All right," Jo said with her hands up in front of her. She turned to retrieve her coat which now lay under the pew. She slipped into and while buttoning it she asked, "Where are you taking me, again?"

"A bar," Murphy said, he's regular grin morphing into a mischievous one. Jo scoffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"A bar?" Jo said, the words coming out of her mouth as if she were saying something disgusting. "Far be it from me to spoil your fun. I know how you Irish love to booze it up." She received matching looks of amused indignation from the twins but ignored them and continued. "But unless I'm wrong, the drinking age in good ol' America is 21. I am 19. I mean hey, in Canada we'd be fine but not here."

"Don't you worry about that," Connor said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "We know the guy who owns the bar and he will let ye in. And if it's the drinkin' yer worried about, we'll make sure you only drink Coke."

"Oh thank you!" she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and starting for the entrance of the church. They followed behind her, half-running to keep up with her.

"We really think you'll like this place," Murphy said from behind her. Jo didn't turn but she just knew he was grinning wildly.

"Oh? And what makes you think I will really like it? I'm not a bar person."

"You'll see," Connor said and he and Murphy shared a chuckle. Jo groaned slightly under her breath but surrendered, letting Connor and Murphy walk ahead of her to show her the way. She lagged a bit, petulant about their location being a secret.

Jo followed the twins for two blocks and through an alley before finally reaching a red doorway. The night was oddly cold and there were no stars in the sky, only a half moon that shone bright. Jo shivered in spite of herself and hugged herself to keep some warmth in. When she realized they had stopped, she let her eyes travel up the red doorway and settle on the sign and as she read, her eyes almost popped out of her head.

"The 'Norwegian Wood' bar?" Jo read aloud. She turned to Connor and Murphy. "As in-- The Beatles song 'Norwegian Wood'?" The twins had to laugh at her sudden enthusiasm and excitement.

"Aye," Murphy said, chuckling as he took two cigarettes from his pocket and put them in his mouth, lighting them both and offering one to Connor. "Our friend Jim owns this bar. He's kind of a hippie, stuck in the 60s freak. Like--"

"Me?" Jo finished, the smirk dancing on her lips becoming a full smile. Murphy nodded. "Well hey, you guys brought me to the right place. Let's go."

She practically barrelled through the door, barely giving Connor and Murphy the chance to grab the door before it swung shut. She stopped when she walked a few feet inside, taking time to look around. The bar ran the length of the entire wall, the glass shelves behind it filled with endless rows of bottles and glasses. The stools were made of dark oak and the seats were cherry red like the booths on the other side of the room. Small, round oak tables with chairs filled the middle of the room and near the back stood a yellow and red jukebox, all lit up and currently blaring a Rolling Stones song. Jo was nearly glowing with happiness.

"Connor! Murphy! Boys!"

All three turned at the sound of the gruff voice and saw a short, balding man with a goatee standing before them. He wore faded jeans, an old tie-dyed shirt and scuffed black boots. The peace symbol hanging from his neck was once shiny metal but now it was faded and he puffed on the cigar between his fingers before giving them a yellow-toothed smile.

"Jim!" Murphy greeted loudly, shaking his hand vigorously before Connor did the same. "Been a while, huh?"

"Sure has, boys," Jim said, clapping both of them on the back and chuckling. Finally, he noticed Jo and looked her over before pointing his cigar at her. "Who's the little lady? You're girlfriend?" he kidded, elbowing Murphy in the ribs.

Murphy shook his head quickly, his face turning crimson in a matter of seconds. "No-- this is-- uh-- Jo. She's a--- a friend."

"Well!" Jim said, taking a step toward her and studying her more closely than he had before. His eyes travelled from her head down and then landed on the buttons running down her jacket. His eyes filled with appreciation and he nodded at her. Her face seemed to soften under his approving gaze. "Very nice!"

"Thanks," she said and unbuttoned her coat, letting it hang open. She put both hands in her pockets and shifted her weight onto her right leg. "Are we gonna sit or-- what?"

Jim chuckled, loud and hearty. "Come, come," he said as he led them over to the last corner booth near the jukebox. Connor and Murphy sat on one side and Jo across from them. "I'll bring youse guys some drinks," Jim said. He shifted his gaze to Jo. "And for you?"

"Coke," Jo replied, glaring a bit at the boys. They just chuckled and Jim went off to get their drinks.

The song on the jukebox had switched to a Elvis song and Jo rose to change it. She stood before the big jukebox, standing on her toes so that she could read the song list. Finally, after switching her weight from foot to foot, she thrust a quarter through the slot and pressed F-7. She sat back in the booth with a satisfied smile as her song flowed through the entire bar. The twins where looking at her with matched expressions of amusement.

"Oh, what?" she said, sighing as she slightly cocked her head to the side. She didn't sound biting though but light and even happy instead. "Haven't you ever heard that a song can change a person's mood?"

"Aye," Connor replied with a slight chuckle. "But we've never heard of someone turnin' completely giddy after a song came on."

"Well, fuck you then," Jo said, still smiling. "Some people need a bit of happiness in their lives and songs bring happiness." She was trying to convince the swirling butterflies of nervousness in her stomach more than she was trying to convince them.

Murphy grinned. "Is that so?"

"Aye," Jo replied in a mock Irish tone. "It's so."

Jim arrived at the booth with their drinks, putting them down in the middle of the table as well as a complementary basket of fries. Jo grabbed at them hungrily, stuffing them into her mouth like a person who hadn't eaten in days. She smiled a bit sheepishly when the three men stared at her.

"What? I like fries."

"Okay then," Connor said with a laugh and sipped the beer Jim had brought him.

"Hey," Jim said, poking Jo in the shoulder. He smiled down at her when she turned to look at him. "You pick that song?" She nodded. "Buddy Holly-- good choice."

"Thanks," she said, the words mumbled by the fries she had stuffed in her mouth. When he turned to attend to another table, she gulped down a third of her coke, wiped her mouth and leaned in closer. Seriousness flashed through her eyes and replaced her light, airy smile almost immediately. "Are you guys really going in tomorrow?"

"We are," Murphy said, the seriousness clouding over his eyes as well. His smile turned into a hard, thin line. "We got all the information we need and there's no reason not to go after them."

"Aye," Connor agreed, his tone matching his brother's expression. "You'd think you want us to get those killers who are after ye."

"Uhh--n-n-no," Jo said, Connor's suspicious eyes making her look down at her hands. She forced the shakiness out of her voice and did her best to make herself sound strong. "I just--- you guys shouldn't just run in there half-cocked! " She looked up at them, fire burning from her eyes. "You should really make sure you know what you're going into. I mean-- you guys are going up against the fuckin' mob for Christ's sakes!"

"Ya make it sound like ye know somethin'!" Connor replied, staring at her fully now. She didn't move, her breath caught in her throat.

"Don't fuckin' worry about it!" Murphy said before she could reply. It came out a bit sharper than he intended and Jo flinched ever so slightly.

The silence that followed was awkward and for the next few minutes, all sipped their drinks quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. Connor and Murphy shared a glance after both set their eyes on Jo. She was avoiding both of their gazes, staring into her glass and watching as the bubbles in her drink fizzed and popped. She may have been physically sitting at the table with them but it was clear by looking at her that she had travelled somewhere entirely different in her mind. Jo was no doubt relieving some past moment or perhaps even dreaming of a better future but right then, she wasn't there.

Connor nodded to Murphy who slowly nodded back, saying in their own special twin way that he felt exactly what his brother did. Jo was becoming more and more suspicious by the minute and Murphy couldn't help but wonder if she was telling the whole truth. In his mind he had thought her to be the damsel in distress that he would rescue and sweep off her feet and fall in love with. He knew it was unnatural for him, especially him, to think such things but Jo was the only woman who had resurrected these feelings and he couldn't help but tag along for the ride. And, he concluded in his mind, if she turned out to be lying or hiding information about herself, he would be devastatingly heartbroken.

It only took Connor once glance to understand and he nodded again, this time his eyes softening and filling with sympathy for his twin. Murphy offered a smile but then looked away, fearing that Connor would see much more in his eyes. After another painstaking minute of silence, Connor cleared his throat and Jo finally snapped back to reality and looked up. The amusement that had filled her face only minutes before was now replaced with a sullen expression and her eyes lost some of their brightness that they held not long ago.

"What?" she said, exhaling a large breath and leaning back in the seat of the booth. Even her voice sounded listless and tired. "What the fuck are you guys staring at me like that for?"

Connor didn't let his eyes betray anything. "Like what?"

"Like I'm a fuckin' criminal being interrogated!" she snapped, crossing her arms across her chest in a hasty motion. Her anger flushed her face more with each breath she took.

"We ain't," Murphy replied in a flat tone. "We just find it weird that ya are tryin' to get us not to go to the Italian's place."

"Almost like ye are hidin' somethin' from us," Connor said. Without skipping a bit and keeping his tone even he said, "Are ye?"

Jo didn't hesitate to shake her head. "No." When both men's expressions didn't change she added, "I swear."

The twins stared into each other's eyes for a long time before turning back to her. Jo thought they would tell her they didn't believe her and leave her right then and there but Connor finally nodded and said, "All right then. We believe ye."

"Okay," Jo replied, her relieved breath escaping her lips like air leaving an untied balloon. She swallowed and then did her best to smile again and attempted to change the subject as quickly as she could. "So-- uh-- this morning I was looking around the apartment and I found this." She grabbed her jacket that was lying beside her and pulled a ripped and fading photograph from the pocket. She handed it to Murphy who held it in front of him so Connor could see it. "I just stuck it in my pocket and forgot about it," she quickly.

"Shit, Con," he said after a few quiet seconds. "Remember when we took this?"

"Aye," Connor replied in a faraway tone as his mind travelled back to the day when the picture was taken. A smile formed on his lips and when he broke from his reverie, he looked at the expectant Jo. "We took this over three years ago," he explained. "Back in Boston at this bar we always used to go to."

"What happened?" Jo asked, genuine curiosity and interest on her face.

Murphy looked at Connor before turning to Jo and saying, "Well, this one night…."

----------------

_One cold December night, Connor and Murphy stepped into McGuinty's bar, a favourite place of theirs that they frequented often since moving to Boston. It was nearly eleven clock already and the bar was half-empty, only the regulars still hanging around the bar, listening to Doc the bartender tell one of this stories. Midst the five or six drinkers at the bar was David Della Rocco, better known as Rocco, loudly laughing and adding his own jokes to Doc's story. As the twins approached the bar, chuckling at their friend's antics, Rocco saw them and stood up, his arms spread wide and a silly grin on his face. He was past drunk already._

"_Monnor, Curphy!" He greeted then laughed as he realized his mistake. He tried again. "I mean Connor, Murphy!" _

"_Hey Roc," Murphy greeted and laughed as Rocco pulled him into a bear hug that nearly crushed him and restricted his air supply for a few seconds. He gasped for air when Rocco finally let him go. "Jeez Roc!" _

_Connor smiled and greeted his friend as Rocco clapped him on the back. Doc came around and thrust a drink in both their hands before they had a chance to sit down. As they sat, they sipped their beers and listened to Rocco ramble on about the events of his day, adding in a few jokes here and there. Nearly an hour later, Connor and Murphy were both more than buzzed and were laughing insanely at yet another one of Rocco's stories._

"_And then," Rocco said, his own laughter escaping his lips and the beer he had in his mouth dripping down onto his scruffy beard. "I told that fuckin' bastard that if he wanted to get any action, he would have to fuck himself!"_

_The loud laughter that followed was enough to shake the glasses lined up behind the bar and caused Doc to yell at them, causing even louder laughter in return. Rocco was staring behind the bar and realized that a small black box-like figure behind the cash register. With one swift movement, he leaped over the bar and landed beside Doc, grabbing it and running back over to his seat between Connor and Murphy. The object was a new, Polaroid camera._

"_Whoa!" Rocco said, turning the camera over in his hands. "I didn't know you were a fancy photographer, Doc!"_

"_I'm not," Doc replied, rushing over to where Rocco was. He stuttered over his words as he usually did. "I---I---I--I-- Fuck! Ass! It's a new camera!"_

"_Well!" Rocco said, his laughter setting Connor and Murphy into a laughing fit. "Let's try it out!"_

"_Aye!" Murphy agreed, leaning over Connor to try and wrench the camera from Rocco's hands. Rocco wouldn't give it up and Connor was smacking his brother over the head to get him to move off his legs. "Oy Murph! Get the fuck off me!"_

_Once Murphy had sat back in his seat, Rocco jumped out of his and aimed the camera at his two friends. Connor unexpectedly grabbed Murphy around the neck and pulled him closer for the picture. They both wore matching lopsided smiles as Rocco snapped the picture. A few seconds later when it printed itself, the three men roared, tears forming in their eyes and spilling down their cheeks._

"_Okay, okay," Rocco said, thrusting the camera into the hands of Doc and spinning Connor and Murphy around to face him. He stumbled over his own foot and nearly fell but caught himself and threw his arms around their shoulders. "Let's make this one count!"_

_Doc took the camera and held it in his hands, waiting for the three very loud and very drunk men to pose. Rocco stuck himself between Connor and Murphy, slinging his arms around both their shoulders and pulling them in a bit closer. Again, they grinned lopsidedly and waited. Doc swore at them for taking so long and then pressed the button, the flash going off brightly. They laughed again when the picture came out and continued to laugh and drink into the night._

----------------

"Jeez!" Jo was even laughing at the end of their story, the twin's laughter causing her own. The telling of the story behind the picture seemed to eliminate the possibility of the conversation about the suspicions about Jo and for that she was grateful.

"Ahh," Murphy said after his laughter diminished. His face was set aglow with happiness and the memory had put him a good mood. "We were really drunk that night."

"Aye," Connor said in agreement, nodding his head and chuckling to himself. He used the back of his hand to wipe the fugitive tears that had escaped his eyes and then took the last sip of his beer. "It was somethin' to remember."

"And Roc--" Murphy began but suddenly stopped. The smile slowly evaporated from his face as thoughts of his long dead friend ran through his mind. Connor's expression matched his.

"What?" Jo asked, oblivious to the details of Rocco's demise. She was curious to who this 'Roc" person was and all she knew was that he was a good friend of the twins. But judging by the look on their faces, she knew that something wasn't good. "What happened?" she asked tentatively.

Both twins went through a few emotions flashing across their faces before finally settling on pain and anger. Murphy looked down for a moment and when he looked back up, his eyes were harder as well as the expression on his face, showing almost no emotion. He took a long drink of his beer before taking a deep breath and sitting back in the booth. His voice was barely above a whisper and Jo had to lean in to hear him. The whole time, Connor sat motionless as if the events his brother was describing was happening before his eyes again.

"We knew Rocco for a long time," Murphy explained, his gaze down on his hands. "He was a good man."

"A funny man," Connor offered, still keeping his dead expression. He chuckled a bit but even the laugh sounded lifeless. "They called him that, 'funny man'. He told jokes all the time."

Jo raised her eyebrows, waiting for more. "And?"

"He was a package boy," Murphy said. "For the Yakavetta family. Italian mob in Boston," he explained when confusion flashed across Jo's face. "And Roc-- he was tired for waitin' for his big break. So he joined us and helped us."

"With your 'Saints' thing?"

"Aye," Connor replied with a quick nod. A wistful smile appeared on his lips as he remembered. "Roc wanted to help us. And we let him. But he did somethin' that pissed off his boss and then when we went to the house we were caught. And Roc--" His voice caught for a moment and Jo thought he wouldn't finish. But he sucked in his breath and said, "The boss-- he killed Roc."

"But then we killed him," Murphy said, fire burning through his eyes.

"Oh," Jo said after a while. She didn't know what to say and the expression on both the faces of the twins put a cold chill in her heart. She had experienced loss like theirs and their looks of pain reminded her of her own, causing her to swallow back her own tears. "I'm sorry for bringing it up," Jo said in a small voice.

"Don't worry about it," Connor said in a half-distracted tone. "It's fine."

For the second time that night, silence fell upon them. Jo couldn't help but wonder if it was her, if she was the one who brought all this pain and suffering around with her like a curse. As she sat there starting down at her hands, the nails nervously bitten off, she let her mind wonder deeper into the idea of the curse she had attached to her. It seemed to her that everyone she had come in contact with in her life was hurt or killed in some way and now more than ever she believed it was she who caused.

"Whad'ya thinking'?"

Jo's head snapped up upon hearing Murphy's voice and just shrugged, not wanting to share anything with him at the moment. She figured that if she didn't get too close to him, the chance of getting him hurt was less than if she did get close. She leaned back a bit and shook her head this time.

"Nothing," she replied. She drained the last of her drink and pushed the basket of fries away from her. Her stomach suddenly felt very heavy and she didn't want any more food. "I'm just tired all of a sudden," she said lamely.

"Maybe we should just go," Connor said suddenly, grabbing for his coat. Murphy silently agreed and caught his coat when Connor threw it at him.

"We should say bye to Jim, though," Murphy said and stood.

Jo bolted up abruptly and pushing past them she said, "I'll wait for you guys outside."

She didn't give them a chance to stop her and she didn't bother looking back as she fled from the bar. At first she wanted to run and keep running once she got outside but she knew Connor and Murphy would only come after her and she had a better chance of being protected by staying with them. She stopped a few feet from the entrance, catching herself on the wall and closing her eyes to catch her breath. She was overcome with a unexpected panic attack and she focused on breathing to keep herself from passing out.

The soft creak of the door alerted her attention to the twins arrival but she didn't turn around, still trying to catch her breath. When she heard the click of a lighter behind her she finally turned and accepted a cigarette from Murphy's outstretched hand. Quickly, she took a long drag on the cigarette and slowly let the smoke escape from her mouth, letting it curl around her face which was half-lit by the street light. Before saying anything, she took another few drags to calm herself and then lifted her eyes to meet theirs.

"What's wrong?" Connor asked, his voice as cautious as his eyes. "Seems like ye ran out of there fast."

"I'm all right, fine," Jo replied quickly. She took the last few drags on her cigarette and threw it to the ground, crushing it under her all black Converse shoe. Crossing her arms across her chest, she leaned against the wall and watched the twins stare back at her as they finished their own cigarettes.

"Maybe we should just go," Murphy suggested, stamping out his own cigarette after Connor did his.

Connor nodded silently and led the way to their apartment, down the dark Manhattan street under the dim light of the tall, black street posts. As Jo trailed behind them, she felt a big ball of dread form in her stomach, causing it to churn and flutter with acid that threatened to choke her at a moment's notice. She felt the dread continue to grow and because of it, she was certain that something really bad was about to happen.

********

_Oh God…. what am I going to do?_

Jo stood in the small bathroom, both hands griping the sink tight as she forced her breathing to return to normal. She had never done anything like that before and she had mixed feelings about-- especially if the truth about her was actually revealed. Jo spun away from the mirror with a loud growl of anger and kicked the trash can into the wall. No one could have hated themselves more at that moment than she hated herself. The opening of the front door caught her attention and she took a composing breath before walking out of the bathroom. Connor had just come through the door with Al behind him and Murphy still sat on his bed where she had left him before. A quick look out the window told her that day was rapidly turning into night.

"Are ya ready, Murph?" Connor was on one knee, stuffing rope along with a few weapons into his black bag. Al stood behind him, leaning against the door.

"Aye," Murphy replied and stood, stretching and following his brother's actions by gathering his own weapons silently, his eyes wanted to travel to Jo but he forced them to stay on what he was doing.

Once the twins were done, both stood and after Murphy slipped into his coat, they stood by the door, staring in Jo's direction. She sighed and shrugged, not knowing what to say. In another hour, Connor and Murphy would be throwing themselves into a situation that most would run from and Jo was nearly sick with the dread that something horrible was going to happen to them. And no matter what happened or how it happened, Jo felt it was going to be all her fault.

"We're goin'," Connor said in an even tone. He was all serious now as was Murphy. They were going on a mission and they had turned fully into the Saints. Jo stiffened a bit, a little scared at how serious and deadly they both looked.

"We'll see ya later," Murphy said and a second later, the door was closing behind them. Al moved over to lean against it fully now and stared across the room at Jo. When she didn't move, he began to walk over to her.

"Don't touch me," she snapped, her voice not as strong as she intended. Al almost chuckled as he closed in on her. She started for the back door but he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backwards, slamming her into the wall as she cried out in pain.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I was thinking of jumping from the ledge into the fucking traffic, " she said, grunting as she struggled against his hold. He pressed her harder into the wall before letting her go. She jumped away from him, standing near the glass door, staring out.

"You think you're going to get off that easy?" he asked, his voice slightly mocking.

"Easy?" She spun around to face him, anger fuelling her. "You think all of this has been easy? It'd make it better for everyone if I just threw myself off that ledge."

"For you, maybe," Al spat angrily, once more walking toward her. He stopped in front of her and she could feel the anger radiate off him as he spoke down on her. "Killing yourself would be an easy way out for you, wouldn't it? But what about your dear friends? What do you think is gonna happen to them?"

Jo gasped with realization, staring up at him. "He knows they're coming doesn't he? You told him!" She slammed her fists into his chest but Al had become a still stone statue, hard and unmoving. She gasped again, this time the words taking her breath away as she said them. "And-- you were sent to bring me? Weren't you?" His silence was enough for her. "Why are you doing this? What the fuck do you get out of it?"

"The good life," he said, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth until it became a full fledged grin. She wanted to be sick at that moment. "I-- get to pay off my father's debts and I get protection for life. Plus--," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "I get to finally move up and not be a gopher anymore."

"Bastard," she cursed under her breath and Al laughed. "Why did he have to drag them into this? He wanted me back, fine but why the hell did he have to drag Connor and Murphy into this?"

Al shrugged, the cold smile never leaving his lips. "He's a smart man, I think you know how smart. When the 'Saints'," he twisted his lips when he said it, making it sound like a curse, "came to New York, he figured that sooner or later, they would find out about you from the phoney newspaper articles and come to your rescue. And it worked, didn't it?"

"But Giovanni and Giorgio came after me," she said, trying to rationalize the events in her mind. "They were the ones who killed Pazz, not Connor and Murphy."

"I know. That was the mistake. He was getting impatient, you see and he sent the twins after you but it so happened that you got away from them. And--"

"And then Connor and Murphy showed up to kill Pazz only they found me," she finished, angry tears shining in her eyes. "And then you ran to him like an obedient little puppy dog with the news. You knew Connor and Murphy were going after him and you let them go. Wouldn't it have been easier just to take me to him?"

"Aww, what's the matter?" Al asked in a mocking tone, leaning down closer to her. She turned her face away from him and swallowed back her tears. "Is it possible that you care for them? What-- do you love them? Do you care for someone other than yourself?"

"Stop," she said in a half-defeated tone. She stared at the floor, shaking her head and furiously swiping at the tears that managed to escape her eyes. Al stood back up to his full height, loosing his smile quickly. He seized her chin and lifted it so she was staring into his eyes. She didn't stop him.

"Let me remind you that you got yourself into this," he said in a deadly whisper. "Everything could have been avoided if only you had been thinking of someone other than yourself. But what's done is done and it's time for you to pay. Anything that happens to them is on your head." He glanced at the clock, fidgeting ever so slightly. "I don't have time for your moral crisis. I have to bring you in---- now."

"You son of a bitch," she spat, jerking her face out of his grasp. She had the urge to knee him again but doing so would only anger him more and result in more pain for her. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Al didn't answer this time but continued to stare down at her instead, his eyes burning into the top of her head. She didn't move for a moment, focusing on keeping her breathing steady and her vision clear. Al continued to stand before her like the grim reaper waiting to take his next victim away to some horrible afterlife. And looking up into Al's hateful eyes, looking her gaze into his, she silently sealed her fate. She didn't want to be responsible for the death of Connor and Murphy and she would sacrifice her life and come face to face with the past she had been running from for so long.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely audible. Al broke out into a wide smile again and she grimaced, anger once again flashing across her face. "I will kill you. One day," she promised.

"I'd like to see that," he said and threw her coat at her. She slipped into it quickly and buttoned it up. Al moved to the door, opened it and stood there like a doorman, holding out his arm. "Ladies first."

Jo didn't answer and walked through quickly, Al hovering behind her in case she would try to make a break for it. Once they were in the car and driving down the street, Jo felt her dread hit her like a ton a bricks and explode into her worst fears that she would soon be coming face to face with. With one wavering breath, she stared ahead, waiting for the house to appear in her line of vision. She took solace in the fact that soon, no matter which way it went, it would all be over soon.

* * *

**A/N: **Well okay then!!!! There you have it-- chapter four!!!! Man, I gotta say this one was hard to pound out. But, I did it and I hope it was good!!!! And I would like to extend my Christmas wishes to all of you guys and I hope all your Christmases are happy and fun-filled. Merry Christmas everyone and please review!!!! J


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